UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

If you believe working conditions are unsafe or unhealthful, you may file a complaint with OSHA concerning a hazardous working condition at any time. If possible, bring the conditions to your employer's attention. If the condition clearly presents a risk of death or serious physical harm, there is not sufficient time for OSHA to inspect, and, where possible, a worker has brought the condition to the attention of the employer, the worker may have a legal right to refuse to work in a situation in which he or she would be exposed to the hazard. If you have questions about what to do, contact your local OSHA office. We will keep your information confidential. We are here to help you.

Private Sector Workers — OSHA covers most private sector employers and workers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. jurisdictions either directly through Federal OSHA or through an OSHA-approved state plan. State-run health and safety programs must be at least as effective as the Federal OSHA program. To find the contact information for the OSHA Federal or State Program office nearest you, see the Regional and Area Offices map.

State and Local Government Workers — Workers at state and local government agencies are not covered by Federal OSHA, but have OSH Act protections if they work in one of the 22 states and territories that have an OSHA-approved state program. Five additional states and one U.S. territory have OSHA approved plans that cover public sector employees only: Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, and the Virgin Islands. Private sector workers in these five states and the Virgin Islands are covered by Federal OSHA.

Federal Government Workers — OSHA's protection applies to all federal agencies. Federal agencies must have a safety and health program that meet the same standards as private employers. Although OSHA does not fine federal agencies, it does monitor these agencies and conducts federal workplace inspections in response to workers' complaints.

If you are injured, call a supervisor for help. If the supervisor is not available, get medical assistance or call 911.

All employers must notify OSHA within 8 hours of a workplace fatality or within 24 hours of any work-related inpatient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. [Employers under federal OSHA's jurisdiction were required to begin reporting by Jan. 1, 2015. Establishments in a state with a state-run OSHA program may have a different implementation date].

Yes, a compliant can be filed on your behalf by: an authorized representative of a labor organization or other employee bargaining unit; an attorney; any person acting as a bona fide representative, including members of the clergy, social workers, spouses and other family members; government officials or nonprofit groups; and organizations acting upon specific complaints and injuries from you or your coworkers. In addition, anyone who knows about a workplace safety or health hazard may report unsafe conditions to OSHA, and OSHA will investigate the concerns reported.

Each complaint is evaluated by OSHA to determine whether it should be handled as an off-site investigation or an on-site inspection. Written complaints (or filed online) that are signed by workers or their representative and submitted to an OSHA area or regional office are more likely to result in on-site OSHA inspections.

Employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. See a listing of employer responsibilities.

When the OSHA inspector arrives, workers and their representatives have the right to talk privately with the OSHA inspector before and after the inspection. A worker representative may also go along on the inspection. Where there is no union or employee representative, the OSHA inspector must talk confidentially with a reasonable number of workers during the course of the investigation.

Each OSHA region has a labor liaison, whose job it is to maintain communication with organized and unorganized workers, Committees on Occupational Health and Safety, worker centers and coalitions, helping them navigate OSHA’s organizational structure or complaint procedures, and to assist them in developing and updating health and safety programs. You can contact them if you need help, if you want to establish a relationship between your group and OSHA, or if you want to establish or update a health and safety system in your workplace.

Many OSHA standards require employers to provide personal protective equipment, when it is necessary to protect employees from job-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. With few exceptions, OSHA requires employers to pay for personal protective equipment when it is used to comply with OSHA standards. These typically include: hard hats, gloves, goggles, safety glasses, welding helmets and goggles, face shields, chemical protective equipment and fall protection equipment. For additional information on PPE, refer to OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment Web page.