Workers in Georgia and throughout the country who don’t feel safe on the job may refuse to carry out a given task. Furthermore, those who encounter unsafe work conditions have the right to report them to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that workers are free from dangers that could cause them to become injured or acquire an illness.
Companies must generally keep records of any employee injuries or deaths that occur. They must also provide safety training to their employees if there is a need for it. How a worker handles a dangerous condition depends on whether it presents an immediate threat to his or her safety. If it doesn’t present an immediate threat, that person should report the condition to an employer first. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, a complaint can then be made to OSHA.
Employers are not allowed to retaliate against employees who report safety issues or a violation of OSHA guidelines. In the event that a hazard is an immediate threat to a worker’s safety, he or she may refuse to work until the hazard is taken care of. This assumes that the worker reported an issue in good faith and had no alternative other than not completing a task.
People who are injured on the job could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, and this is generally the case regardless of fault. These benefits could include the payment of medical expenses and, in some cases, a percentage of wages lost during the recovery period. It might be advisable to have legal assistance with the preparation and filing of the required claim documentation.
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