ALLOSHA 3302-01R 2020 ABOUT OSHA 1
This booklet provides a general overview of basic 

topics related to OSHA and how it operates. 

Information provided does not determine 

compliance responsibilities under OSHA 

standards or the Occupational Safety and Health 

Act of 1970 (OSH Act). 

Because interpretations and enforcement policy 

may change over time, you should consult the 

agency for the most up-to-date information. 

Much of it is available at the OSHA website at 

www.osha.gov. The website also includes 

locations and phone numbers for OSHA offices 

around the country. If you do not have access 

to the website, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742). This 

information is available to sensory-impaired 

individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-

1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

Material in this publication is in the public 

domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, 

without permission. Source credit is requested 

but not required.

Cover photo: Steve Baranowski, Braintree, Massachusetts 

Area Office
U.S. Department of Labor

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA 3302-01R 2020

U.S. Department of Labor

All About OSHA
2 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Contents

OSHA’s Mission . . . 4

Introduction . . . 4

OSHA Coverage . . . 5

Rights and Responsibilities under 

OSHA Law . . . 9

OSHA Standards . . . 11

Enforcement . . . 14

General Reporting and 

Recordkeeping Requirements . . . 17

Filing a Complaint . . . 18

OSHA’s Whistleblower Program: 

Protection from Retaliation . . . 19

If There is a Dangerous Situation 

at Work . . . 20

Additional Whistleblower Protections . . . 21

OSHA Assistance, Services, 

and Programs . . . 27

OSHA Advisory Committees . . . 30

OSHA Regional Offices . . . 31

How to Contact OSHA . . . 33
ALL ABOUT OSHA 3

In 1970, the United States Congress and President 

Richard Nixon created the Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration (OSHA), a national 

public health agency dedicated to the basic 

proposition that no worker should have to choose 

between their life and their job. 

Passed with bipartisan support, the creation of 

OSHA was a historic moment of cooperative 

national reform. The OSHA law makes it clear that 

the right to a safe workplace is a basic human right. 

Since OSHA’s first day on the job, the agency 

has delivered remarkable progress for our nation. 

Workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities have 

fallen dramatically. Together with our state 

partners, OSHA has tackled fatal safety hazards 

and health risks. We have established common 

sense standards and enforced the law against 

those who put workers at risk. Our standards, 

enforcement actions, compliance assistance and 

cooperative programs have saved thousands of 

lives and prevented countless injuries and illnesses. 

Looking to the future, OSHA is committed to 

protecting workers from toxic chemicals and 

fatal safety hazards at work, ensuring that 

vulnerable workers in high-risk jobs have access 

to critical information and education about job 

hazards, and providing employers with vigorous 

compliance assistance to promote best practices 

that can save lives. 

Although our task is far from complete, our 

progress gives us hope and confidence that 

OSHA will continue to make a lasting difference 

in the lives of our nation’s workers, their families 

and their communities. 
4 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

OSHA’s Mission

Congress created OSHA to assure safe and 

healthful conditions for working men and women 

by setting and enforcing standards and providing 

training, outreach, education and compliance 

assistance.

Under the OSHA law, employers are responsible 

for providing a safe and healthful workplace for 

their workers. For more information, visit OSHA’s 

website at www.osha.gov.

Introduction

On December 29, 1970, President Nixon signed 

the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

(OSH Act) into law, establishing OSHA. Coupled 

with the efforts of employers, workers, safety and 

health professionals, unions and advocates, 

OSHA and its state partners have dramatically 

improved workplace safety, reducing work-related 

fatalities by almost 63 percent.

In 1970, an estimated 14,000 workers were killed 

on the job – about 38 every day. For 2018, the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports this number fell 

to about 5,250 or about 14 workers per day. At 

the same time, U.S. employment has more than 

doubled to over 146 million workers at more than 

Photo: James Majors
ALL ABOUT OSHA 5

10 million worksites. The rate of reported serious 

workplace injuries and illnesses has also dropped 

markedly, from 10.9 per 100 workers in 1972 to 

2.8 per 100 workers in 2018. 

OSHA’s safety and health standards, including 

those for asbestos, fall protection, cotton dust, 

trenching, machine guarding, benzene, lead and 

bloodborne pathogens have prevented countless 

work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities. 

Nevertheless, far too many preventable injuries 

and fatalities continue to occur. Significant 

hazards and unsafe conditions still exist in U.S. 

workplaces; each year more than 3.5 million 

working men and women suffer a serious 

job-related injury or illness. Millions more are 

exposed to toxic chemicals that may cause 

illnesses years from now. 

In addition to the direct impact on individual 

workers, the negative consequences for America’s 

economy are substantial. Occupational injuries 

and illnesses cost American employers more than 

$97.4 billion a year in workers’ compensation 

costs alone. Indirect costs to employers, 

including lost productivity, employee training and 

replacement costs, and time for investigations 

following injuries can more than double these 

costs. Workers and their families suffer great 

emotional and psychological costs, in addition to 

the loss of wages and the costs of caring for the 

injured, which further weakens the economy. 

OSHA Coverage

The OSH Act covers most private sector 

employers and their workers, in addition to 

some public sector employers and workers 

in the 50 states and certain territories and 

jurisdictions under federal authority. Those 

jurisdictions include the District of Columbia, 

Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American 

Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 
6 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Wake Island, Johnston Island, and the Outer 

Continental Shelf Lands as defined in the Outer 

Continental Shelf Lands Act.

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 plans are OSHA-approved job safety and 

health programs operated by individual states 

instead of Federal OSHA. The OSH Act encourages 

states to develop and operate their own job 

safety and health programs and precludes state 

enforcement of OSHA standards unless the state 

has an approved program. OSHA approves and 

monitors all state plans and provides as much 

as fifty percent of the funding for each program. 

State-run safety and health programs must be at 

least as effective as the Federal OSHA program. 

To find the contact information for the OSHA 

federal or state plan office nearest you, call 1-800-

321-OSHA (6742) or go to www.osha.gov.

The following 22 states or territories have 

OSHA-approved state programs:

• Alaska • Arizona

• California • Hawaii

• Indiana • Iowa

• Kentucky • Maryland

• Michigan • Minnesota

• Nevada • New Mexico

• North Carolina • Oregon

• Puerto Rico • South Carolina

• Tennessee • Utah

• Vermont • Virginia

• Washington • Wyoming
ALL ABOUT OSHA 7

Federal OSHA provides coverage to certain 

workers specifically excluded from a state’s plan, 

for example, those in some states who work in 

maritime industries or on military bases.

Any interested person or group, including 

individual workers, with a complaint concerning 

the operation or administration of a state program 

may submit a complaint to the appropriate 

Federal OSHA regional administrator (regional 

offices are listed at the end of this guide). This 

is called a Complaint About State Program 

Administration (CASPA). The complainant’s name 

will be kept confidential. The OSHA regional 

administrator will investigate all such complaints, 

and where complaints are found to be valid, may 

require appropriate corrective action on the part 

of the state.

HI

CA NV

AZ

ID

OR

WA

AK

WY

MT

UT

NM

CO

TX

OK

KS

NE

SD

ND

MN

WI

IA

MI

IN IL

MO

AR

LA

MS AL GA

FL

OH

PA

NY

NH VT

MA

WV

CT RI

NJ

MD

VA DC

DE

KY

TN

NC

SC

PR

VI

ME

OSHA-approved state plans (private sector and 

public employees)

Federal OSHA (private sector and most federal employees)

OSHA-approved state plans (for public employees only;

private sector employees are covered by Federal OSHA)

OSHA-Approved State Plans
8 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

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 those states that 

have an OSHA-approved state program. 

OSHA rules also permit states and territories to 

develop plans that cover only public sector (state 

and local government) workers. In these cases, 

private sector workers and employers remain 

under Federal OSHA jurisdiction. Five additional 

states and one U.S. territory have OSHA-approved 

state plans that cover public sector workers only:

• Connecticut • Illinois • Maine

• New Jersey • New York • Virgin Islands 

Federal Government Workers

OSHA’s protection applies to all federal agencies. 

Section 19 of the OSH Act makes federal agency 

heads responsible for providing safe and 

healthful working conditions for their workers. 

Although OSHA does not fine federal agencies, 

it does monitor these agencies and conducts 

federal workplace inspections in response to 

workers’ reports of hazards.

Federal agencies must have a safety and health 

program that meets the same standards as 

private employers. Under a 1998 amendment, the 

OSH Act covers the U.S. Postal Service the same 

as any private sector employer.

Not Covered under the OSH Act

• The self-employed;

• Immediate family members of farm 

employers; and

• Workplace hazards regulated by another 

federal agency (for example, the Mine Safety 

and Health Administration, the Department of 

Energy, or the Coast Guard).
ALL ABOUT OSHA 9

Rights and Responsibilities under 

OSHA Law

Employers have the responsibility to provide a 

safe workplace. Employers MUST provide their 

workers with a workplace that does not have 

serious hazards and must follow all OSHA safety 

and health standards. Employers must find and 

correct safety and health problems. OSHA further 

requires that employers must first try to eliminate 

or reduce hazards by making feasible changes in 

working conditions rather than relying on personal 

protective equipment such as masks, gloves, or 

earplugs. Switching to safer chemicals, enclosing 

processes to trap harmful fumes, or using 

ventilation systems to clean the air are examples 

of effective ways to eliminate or reduce risks.

Employers MUST also:

• Prominently display the official OSHA Job 

Safety and Health – It’s the Law poster that 

describes rights and responsibilities under 

the OSH Act. This poster is free and can be 

downloaded from www.osha.gov.

• Inform workers about chemical hazards through 

training, labels, alarms, color-coded systems, 

chemical information sheets and other methods.

• Provide safety training to workers in a 

language and vocabulary they can understand.

• Keep accurate records of work-related 

injuries and illnesses.

• Perform tests in the workplace, such as air 

sampling, required by some OSHA standards.

• Provide required personal protective 

equipment at no cost to workers.*

• Provide hearing exams or other medical tests 

required by OSHA standards.

• Post OSHA citations and injury and illness 

data where workers can see them.
10 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

• 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 (1-800-321-OSHA [6742]).

• Not retaliate against workers for using their 

rights under the law, including their right to 

report a work-related injury or illness.

* Employers must pay for most types of required personal 

protective equipment.

Under OSHA law, workers are entitled to working 

conditions that do not pose a risk of serious harm.

Workers have the right to:

• File a confidential complaint with OSHA to 

have their workplace inspected.

• Receive information and training about 

hazards, methods to prevent harm, and the 

OSHA standards that apply to their workplace. 

The training must be done in a language and 

vocabulary workers can understand.

• Receive copies of records of work-related injuries 

and illnesses that occur in their workplace.

• Receive copies of the results from tests and 

monitoring done to find and measure hazards 

in their workplace.

• Receive copies of their workplace medical 

records.

• Participate in an OSHA inspection and speak in 

private with the inspector.

• File a complaint with OSHA if they have been 

retaliated against by their employer as the 

result of requesting an inspection or using 

any of their other rights under the OSH Act. 

• File a complaint if punished or retaliated 

against for acting as a “whistleblower” under 

the more than 20 federal laws for which 

OSHA has jurisdiction.

For more information, visit OSHA’s Workers’ 

Rights page at www.osha.gov/workers.
ALL ABOUT OSHA 11

OSHA Standards

OSHA’s Construction, General Industry, Maritime 

and Agriculture standards protect workers from a 

wide range of serious hazards. Examples of OSHA 

standards include requirements for employers to:

• provide fall protection;

• prevent trenching cave-ins;

• prevent exposure to some infectious diseases;

• ensure the safety of workers who enter 

confined spaces;

• prevent exposure to harmful chemicals;

• put guards on dangerous machines;

• provide respirators or other safety 

equipment; and

• provide training for certain dangerous jobs in 

a language and vocabulary workers can 

understand.

Employers must also comply with the General 

Duty Clause of the OSH Act. This clause requires 

employers to keep their workplaces free of serious 

recognized hazards and is generally cited when 

no specific OSHA standard applies to the hazard.

Photo: iStock
12 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Standards-Setting Process

OSHA has the authority to issue new or revised 

occupational safety and health standards. The 

OSHA standards-setting process involves many 

steps and provides many opportunities for public 

engagement. OSHA can begin standards-setting 

procedures on its own initiative or in response 

to recommendations or petitions from other 

parties, including: 

• The National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH), the research 

agency for occupational safety and health. 

(For more information, call 1-800-CDC-INFO 

(1-800-232-4636) or visit the agency’s website 

at www.cdc.gov/niosh);

• State and local governments;

• Nationally recognized standards-producing 

organizations;

• Employer or labor representatives; and

• Any other interested parties.

When OSHA is considering whether to develop 

a new or revised standard, the Agency often 

publishes a Request for Information (RFI) or 

an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

Photo: iStock
ALL ABOUT OSHA 13

(ANPRM) in the Federal Register to obtain 

information and views from interested members 

of the public. OSHA will also frequently hold 

stakeholder meetings with interested parties 

to solicit information and opinions on how the 

Agency should proceed with the regulation. 

When OSHA publishes an RFI or ANPRM, 

interested parties can submit written comments 

at www.regulations.gov, where all information 

and submissions are made public.

If OSHA decides to proceed with issuing a new 

or revised regulation, it must first publish a 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the 

Federal Register and solicit public comment. The 

NPRM contains a proposed standard along with 

OSHA’s explanation of the need for the various 

requirements in that proposed standard.

Interested parties are invited to submit written 

comments through www.regulations.gov, 

and OSHA will often hold public hearings in 

which stakeholders can offer testimony and 

provide information to assist the Agency in 

developing a final standard. After considering 

all of the information and testimony provided, 

OSHA develops and issues a final standard that 

becomes enforceable.

Each spring and fall, the Department of Labor 

publishes in the Federal Register a list of all 

regulatory projects underway. The Regulatory 

Agenda provides a projected schedule for these 

projects to inform stakeholders of the Agency’s 

regulatory priorities and enable interested parties 

to take advantage of opportunities to participate in 

the regulatory process. Current and past issues of 

the Regulatory Agenda can be accessed on OSHA’s 

Law and Regulations page at www.osha.gov/

law-regs.
14 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Input from Small Business

The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness 

Act of 1996 (SBREFA) gives small businesses 

help in understanding and complying with OSHA 

regulations and allows them a voice in developing 

new regulations. Under SBREFA, OSHA must:

• Produce Small Entity Compliance Guides for 

some agency rules;

• Be responsive to small business inquiries about 

complying with the Agency’s regulations;

• Submit final rules to Congress for review;

• Have a penalty reduction policy for small 

businesses; and

• Involve small businesses in developing 

proposed rules expected to significantly affect 

a large number of small entities through Small 

Business Advocacy Review Panels.

More information about OSHA standards and the 

standards-setting process is available on OSHA’s 

website at www.osha.gov. Standards can be 

viewed on OSHA’s Law and Regulations page at 

www.osha.gov/law-regs. 

Enforcement

OSHA Inspection Activities: 

Carrying Out Our Mission

Enforcement plays an important part in OSHA’s 

efforts to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, and 

fatalities. When OSHA finds employers who fail to 

uphold their safety and health responsibilities, the 

agency takes strong, decisive actions.

Inspections are initiated without advance notice, 

conducted using on-site or telephone and 

facsimile investigations, performed by highly 

trained compliance officers and scheduled based 

on the following priorities:

• Imminent danger;

• Catastrophes – fatalities or hospitalizations;

• Worker complaints and referrals;
ALL ABOUT OSHA 15

• Targeted inspections – particular hazards, high 

injury rates; and

• Follow-up inspections.

Current workers or their representatives may file 

a written complaint and ask OSHA to inspect their 

workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard 

or that their employer is not following OSHA 

standards. Workers and their representatives have 

the right to ask for an inspection without OSHA 

telling their employer who filed the complaint. It 

is a violation of the OSH Act for an employer to 

fire, demote, transfer or in any way retaliate 

against a worker for filing a complaint or using 

other OSHA rights.

The on-site inspection begins with the 

presentation of the compliance officer’s 

credentials. The compliance officer will explain 

why OSHA selected the workplace for inspection 

and describe the scope of the inspection process, 

walkaround procedures, employee representation 

and employee interviews. Following the opening 

conference, the compliance officer and the 

representatives will walk through portions of the 

workplace covered by the inspection, inspecting 

Photo: Aaron Sussell, Cincinnati, Ohio
16 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

for hazards that could lead to worker injury or 

illness. After the walkaround, the compliance 

officer will hold a closing conference with the 

employer and the employee representative to 

discuss the findings.

When an inspector finds violations of OSHA 

standards or serious hazards, OSHA may issue 

citations and fines. A citation includes methods an 

employer may use to fix a problem and the date by 

which the corrective actions must be completed. 

Employers have the right to contest any part 

of the citation, including whether a violation 

actually exists. Workers only have the right to 

challenge the deadline by which a problem must 

be resolved. Appeals of citations are heard by 

the independent Occupational Safety and Health 

Review Commission (OSHRC). To contact the 

OSHRC, visit www.oshrc.gov or call (202) 606-5370.

OSHA carries out its enforcement activities 

through its 10 regional offices and 89 area offices. 

OSHA’s regional offices are located in Boston, 

New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, 

Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco and 

Seattle. Contact information for each regional 

office is available at the end of this guide.

Severe Violator Enforcement Program

OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program 

(SVEP) became effective on June 18, 2010. 

The program focuses enforcement efforts on 

employers who willfully and repeatedly endanger 

workers by exposing them to serious hazards. 

The SVEP directive establishes procedures and 

enforcement actions for these violators, including 

mandatory follow-up inspections of workplaces 

found in violation and inspections of other 

worksites of the same company where similar 

hazards or deficiencies may be present. Visit 

www.osha.gov for more information.
ALL ABOUT OSHA 17

General Reporting and 

Recordkeeping Requirements

OSHA’s Reporting Requirements

All employers must report to OSHA:

• The death of any worker from a work-related 

incident within 8 hours of learning about it; 

• Any work-related inpatient hospitalization, 

amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.

For more information, visit www.osha.gov/report. 

In addition, employers must report all fatal 

heart attacks that occur at work. Fatal injuries 

from motor vehicle accidents on public streets 

(except those in a construction work zone) and 

in accidents on commercial airplanes, trains, 

subways or buses do not need to be reported.

These reports may be made by telephone or in 

person to the nearest OSHA area office listed 

at www.osha.gov or by calling OSHA’s toll-free 

number, 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).

OSHA’s Recordkeeping Requirements

Tracking and investigating workplace injuries and 

illnesses play an important role in preventing 

future injuries and illnesses, and for that reason, 

OSHA requires certain covered employers in highhazard industries to prepare and maintain records 

of serious work-related injuries and illnesses.

Employers with more than ten employees and 

whose establishments are not classified as a 

partially exempt industry must record serious 

work-related injuries and illnesses using OSHA 

Forms 300, 300A and 301, which are available 

at www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/RKforms.html. 

A list of partially exempt industries, including 

establishments in specific low hazard retail, service, 

finance, insurance or real estate industries is 

available at www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/ppt1/

RK1exempttable.html. Employers who are required 
18 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

to keep Form 300, the Injury and Illness log, must 

also post Form 300A, the Summary of WorkRelated Injuries and Illnesses, in the workplace 

every year from February 1 to April 30. For more 

information, visit www.osha.gov/recordkeeping.

Employers and workers need accurate, timely 

information to focus their prevention activities, 

and OSHA uses this information for many 

purposes, including inspection targeting, 

performance measurement, standards 

development and resource allocation. Injury and 

illness data also aid employers and workers in 

identifying possible safety and health hazards at 

the employer’s establishment. OSHA encourages 

employers to review and investigate patterns 

of injuries and illnesses, and to conduct 

investigations of injuries and near misses to 

prevent similar events in the future.

OSHA is responsible for administering the 

recordkeeping system established by the 

OSH Act. OSHA’s recordkeeping regulations 

provide specific recording and reporting 

requirements which comprise the framework for 

the nationwide occupational safety and health 

recordkeeping system. For more information 

about OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements visit 

www.osha.gov/recordkeeping. 

Filing a Complaint

Hazardous Workplace Complaints

If a workplace has unsafe or unhealthful working 

conditions, workers may want to file a complaint. 

Often the best and fastest way to get a hazard 

corrected is to notify a supervisor or employer. 

Workers or their representatives may file a 

complaint online or by phone, mail, email or fax 

with the nearest OSHA office and request an 

inspection. A worker may also ask OSHA not to 

reveal his or her name. To file a complaint, call 
ALL ABOUT OSHA 19

1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or contact the nearest 

OSHA regional, area, state plan, or consultation 

office listed at www.osha.gov. The teletypewriter 

(TTY) number is (877) 889-5627.

Written, signed complaints submitted to OSHA area 

offices are more likely to result in an on-site OSHA 

inspection. Most online or unsigned complaints 

are resolved informally over the phone with the 

employer. Complaints from workers in states with 

an OSHA-approved state plan will be forwarded to 

the appropriate state plan for response. 

Workers can call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) to 

request a complaint form from their local 

OSHA office or visit www.osha.gov/pls/osha7/

eComplaintForm.html to submit the form online. 

Completed forms can also be faxed or mailed to 

the local OSHA office (provided at the end of this 

guide). Include your name, address and telephone 

number so that OSHA can contact you.

OSHA’s Whistleblower Program: 

Protection from Retaliation

To help ensure that workers are free to participate 

in safety and health activities, Section 11(c) of the 

OSH Act prohibits any person from discharging 

or in any manner retaliating against any worker 

for exercising rights under the OSH Act. These 

rights include raising safety and health concerns 

with an employer, reporting a work-related injury 

or illness, filing a complaint with OSHA, seeking 

an OSHA inspection, participating in an OSHA 

inspection and participating or testifying in any 

proceeding related to an OSHA inspection.

Protection from retaliation means that an 

employer cannot retaliate by taking “adverse 

action” against workers, such as:

• Firing or laying off; 

• Blacklisting; 

• Demoting; 
20 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

• Denying overtime or promotion; 

• Disciplining; 

• Denying of benefits; 

• Failing to hire or rehire; 

• Intimidation;

• Making threats; 

• Reassignment affecting prospects for 

promotion; or 

• Reducing pay or hours.

If a worker believes an employer has retaliated 

against them for exercising their safety 

and health rights, they should contact their 

local OSHA office right away. You must file 

a retaliation complaint with OSHA within 

30 calendar days from the date the retaliatory 

decision has been both made and communicated 

to the worker. No form is needed, but workers 

must call OSHA within 30 days of the alleged 

retaliation (at 1-800-321-OSHA [6742]). For more 

information, please visit www.whistleblowers.gov. 

If There is a Dangerous Situation at Work

If a worker believes working conditions are 

unsafe or unhealthful, OSHA recommends that 

he or she bring the conditions to the employer’s 

attention, if possible. A worker may file a 

complaint with OSHA concerning a hazardous 

working condition at any time. However, workers 

should not leave the worksite merely because 

they have filed a complaint. 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 a worker, with no reasonable alternative, refuses 

in good faith to expose himself or herself to a 

dangerous condition, he or she would be protected 
ALL ABOUT OSHA 21

from subsequent retaliation. The condition must be 

of such a nature that a reasonable person would 

conclude that there is a real danger of death or 

serious harm and that there is not enough time 

to contact OSHA and for OSHA to inspect. Where 

possible, the worker must have also sought from 

his or her employer, and been unable to obtain, a 

correction of the condition. For more information, 

go to www.osha.gov/workers.

Additional Whistleblower Protections

Since passage of the OSH Act in 1970, Congress 

has expanded OSHA’s whistleblower protection 

authority to protect workers from retaliation 

under more than 20 federal laws. These laws 

protect workers who report violations of various 

workplace safety, airline, commercial motor 

carrier, consumer product, environmental, 

financial reform, healthcare reform, nuclear, 

pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, 

maritime, securities, and tax laws. Complaints 

must be reported to OSHA within set timeframes 

Photo: Frank Wenzel, Washington DOSH
22 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

following the retaliatory action, as prescribed by 

each law. These laws, and the number of days 

workers have to file a complaint, are:

Worker, Environmental and Nuclear 

Safety Laws

• Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response 

Act (AHERA) (90 days). Provides retaliation 

protection for individuals who report 

violations of environmental laws relating 

to asbestos in public or private nonprofit 

elementary and secondary school systems.

• Clean Air Act (CAA) (30 days). Provides 

retaliation protection for employees who, 

among other things, report violations of this 

law, which provides for the development and 

enforcement of standards regarding air quality 

and air pollution.

• Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 

(30 days). Protects employees who report 

regulatory violations involving accidents, 

spills, and other emergency releases of 

pollutants into the environment. The law also 

protects employees who report violations 

related to the cleanup of uncontrolled or 

abandoned hazardous waste sites.

• Energy Reorganization Act (ERA) (180 days). 

Protects certain employees in the nuclear 

industry who report violations of the Atomic 

Energy Act (AEA). Protected employees 

include employees of operators, contractors 

and subcontractors of nuclear power 

plants licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission, and employees of contractors 

working with the Department of Energy under 

a contract pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act. 

• Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) 

(also known as the Clean Water Act)

(30 days). Provides retaliation protection for 

employees who, among other things, report 

violations of the law controlling water pollution.
ALL ABOUT OSHA 23

• Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 

(30 days). Provides retaliation protection for 

employees who exercise a variety of rights 

guaranteed under this law, such as filing a 

safety and health complaint with OSHA and 

participating in an inspection.

• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) (30 days). 

Provides retaliation protection for 

employees who, among other things, report 

violations of this law, which requires that 

all drinking water systems assure that their 

water is potable, as determined by the 

Environmental Protection Agency.

• Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA) (also known 

as the Resource Conservation and Recovery 

Act) (30 days). Provides retaliation protection 

for employees who, among other things, 

report violations of the law regulating the 

disposal of solid waste.

• Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

(30 days). Provides retaliation protection 

for employees who, among other things, 

report violations of regulations involving the 

manufacture, distribution, and use of certain 

toxic substances.

Transportation Services Laws

• Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) (180 days). 

Provides protection to employees of railroad 

carriers and contractors and subcontractors of 

those carriers who report an alleged violation 

of any federal law, rule, or regulation relating 

to railroad safety or security, or gross fraud, 

waste, or abuse of federal grants or other public 

funds intended to be used for railroad safety 

or security; report, in good faith, a hazardous 

safety or security condition; refuse to violate or 

assist in the violation of any federal law, rule, or 

regulation relating to railroad safety or security; 

refuse to work when confronted by a hazardous 

safety or security condition related to the 

performance of the employee’s duties (under 
24 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

imminent danger circumstances); request prompt 

medical or first-aid treatment for employmentrelated injuries; are disciplined for requesting 

medical or first-aid treatment or for following an 

order or treatment plan of a treating physician.

• International Safe Container Act (ISCA)

(60 days). Provides retaliation protection for 

employees who report violations of this law, 

which regulates shipping containers.

• National Transit Systems Security Act (NTSSA)

(180 days). Provides protection to public transit 

employees who, among other things, report 

an alleged violation of any federal law, rule, 

or regulation relating to public transportation 

agency safety or security, or fraud, waste, or 

abuse of federal grants or other public funds 

intended to be used for public transportation 

safety or security; refuse to violate or assist 

in the violation of any federal law, rule, or 

regulation relating to public transportation safety 

or security; report a hazardous safety or security 

condition; refuse to work when confronted by 

a hazardous safety or security condition related 

to the performance of the employee’s duties 

(under imminent danger circumstances).

• Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 

(PSIA) (180 days). Provides retaliation 

protection for employees who report violations 

of the federal laws regarding pipeline safety 

and security or who refuse to violate such 

provisions.

• Seaman’s Protection Act (SPA) (180 days). 

Seamen are protected, among other things, for 

reporting to the Coast Guard or other federal 

agency a reasonably believed violation of a 

maritime safety law or regulation prescribed 

under that law or regulation. The law also 

protects work refusals where the employee 

reasonably believes an assigned task would 

result in serious injury or impairment of health 

to the seaman, other seamen, or the public and 
ALL ABOUT OSHA 25

when the seaman sought, and was unable to 

obtain correction of the unsafe conditions. 

• Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA)

(180 days). Provides retaliation protection for 

truck drivers and other employees relating 

to the safety of commercial motor vehicles. 

Coverage includes all buses for hire and 

freight trucks with a gross vehicle weight 

greater than 10,001 pounds.

• Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and 

Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR21)

(90 days). Provides retaliation protection for 

employees of air carriers, contractors, or 

subcontractors of air carriers who, among 

other things, raise safety concerns.

Fraud Prevention Laws

• Affordable Care Act (ACA) (180 days). Protects 

employees who report violations of any 

provision of Title I of the ACA, including 

but not limited to retaliation based on an 

individual’s receipt of health insurance 

subsidies, the denial of coverage based on a 

preexisting condition, or an insurer’s failure to 

rebate a portion of an excess premium. 

• Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 

(CFPA), Section 1057 of the Dodd-Frank Wall 

Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

(180 days). Protects employees who report 

perceived violations of any provision of the 

Dodd-Frank Act, which encompasses nearly 

every aspect of the financial services industry. 

The law also protects employees who report 

violations of any rule, order, standard or 

prohibition prescribed by the Bureau of 

Consumer Financial Protection. 

• Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 

2002 (SOX) (180 days). Protects employees of 

certain companies who report alleged mail, 

wire, bank or securities fraud; violations of the 

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 
26 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

rules and regulations; or violations of federal 

laws related to fraud against shareholders. 

The law covers employees of publicly traded 

companies and companies required to file 

certain reports with the SEC.

• Taxpayer First Act (TFA) (180 days). Provides 

retaliation protection for employees who report 

underpayment of taxes, potential violations of 

internal revenue laws, or potential violations of 

federal law relating to tax fraud; or engage in 

other related protected activities.

Consumer Safety Laws

• Consumer Product Safety Improvement 

Act (CPSIA) (180 days). Protects employees 

who report to their employer, the federal 

government, or a state attorney general 

reasonably perceived violations of any 

statute or regulation within the jurisdiction 

of the Consumer Product Safety Commission 

(CPSC). CPSIA covers employees of 

consumer product manufacturers, importers, 

distributors, retailers, and private labelers.

• FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

(180 days). Protects employees of food 

manufacturers, distributors, packers, and 

transporters for reporting a violation of the 

Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or a regulation 

promulgated under this law. Employees are 

also protected from retaliation for refusing to 

participate in a practice that violates this law.

• Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century 

Act (MAP-21) (180 days). Prohibits retaliation 

by motor vehicle manufacturers, part suppliers, 

and dealerships against employees for 

providing information to the employer or the 

U.S. Department of Transportation about motor 

vehicle defects, noncompliance, or violations 

of the notification or reporting requirements 

enforced by the National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration or for engaging in related 

protected activities as set forth in the provision.
ALL ABOUT OSHA 27

If you believe that you have been retaliated against, 

call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) to be connected to the 

nearest OSHA office to report your complaint. For 

more information, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower page 

at www.whistleblowers.gov.

OSHA Assistance, Services, and Programs

OSHA has a great deal of information to assist 

employers in complying with their responsibilities 

under OSHA law. Several OSHA programs and 

services can help employers identify and correct 

job hazards, as well as improve their safety and 

health program.

Establishing a Safety and Health Program

Safety and health programs are systems that can 

substantially reduce the number and severity of 

workplace injuries and illnesses, while reducing 

costs to employers. 

Visit www.osha.gov/safetymanagement for more 

information.

Compliance Assistance Specialists

OSHA compliance assistance specialists can 

provide information to employers and workers 

about OSHA standards, short educational 

programs on specific hazards or OSHA rights and 

responsibilities, and information on additional 

compliance assistance resources. 

Visit www.osha.gov/complianceassistance/cas or 

call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) to contact your local 

OSHA office.

No-Cost On-Site Safety and Health 

Consultation Services for Small Business

OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program offers 

no-cost and confidential advice to small 

and medium-sized businesses in all states, 

with priority given to high-hazard worksites. 
28 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

On-Site consultation services are separate 

from enforcement and do not result in penalties 

or citations. 

For more information or to find the local 

On-Site Consultation office in your state, visit 

www.osha.gov/consultation, or call 1-800-321-

OSHA (6742).

Under the consultation program, certain 

exemplary employers may request participation 

in OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement 

Recognition Program (SHARP). Worksites that 

receive SHARP recognition are exempt from 

programmed inspections during the period that 

the SHARP certification is valid.

Cooperative Programs

OSHA offers cooperative programs under which 

businesses, labor groups and other organizations 

can work cooperatively with OSHA. To find out 

more about any of the following programs, visit 

www.osha.gov/cooperativeprograms. 

Strategic Partnerships and Alliances

The OSHA Strategic Partnerships (OSP) provide the 

opportunity for OSHA to partner with employers, 

workers, professional or trade associations, labor 

organizations, and/or other interested stakeholders. 

Through the Alliance Program, OSHA works with 

groups to develop compliance assistance tools and 

resources to share with workers and employers, 

and educate workers and employers about their 

rights and responsibilities.

Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP)

The VPP recognize employers and workers in the 

private sector and federal agencies who have 

implemented effective safety and health programs 

and maintain injury and illness rates below the 

national average for their respective industries.
ALL ABOUT OSHA 29

Occupational Safety and Health Training

OSHA partners with 26 OSHA Training Institute 

Education Centers at 37 locations throughout 

the United States to deliver courses on 

OSHA standards and occupational safety and 

health topics to thousands of students a year. 

For more information on training courses, visit 

www.osha.gov/otiec.

OSHA Educational Materials

OSHA has many types of educational materials 

to assist employers and workers in finding and 

preventing workplace hazards. 

All OSHA publications are free at www.osha.gov/

publications and www.osha.gov/ebooks. 

You can also call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) to 

order publications.

Employers and safety and health professionals 

can sign-up for QuickTakes, OSHA’s free, twicemonthly online newsletter with the latest news 

about OSHA initiatives and products to assist in 

finding and preventing workplace hazards. To 

sign up, visit www.osha.gov/quicktakes.

Photo: Thinkstock
30 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

OSHA Advisory Committees

OSHA sponsors advisory committees to advise 

the Secretary of Labor and the Assistant Secretary 

of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health on 

workplace safety and health issues.

All OSHA advisory committees have membership 

balanced between representatives of workers and 

employers, and most also include other qualified 

individuals such as government officials, safety 

and health professionals and members of the 

public. All committees accept comments from 

interested individuals. Transcripts and minutes 

of the meetings are also available to the public 

on the committee webpages at www.osha.gov/

advisorycommittees. 

The three current advisory committees are:

• The National Advisory Committee on 

Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH), 

which advises, consults with and makes 

recommendations to the U.S. Secretaries of 

Labor (DOL) and Health and Human Services 

(HHS) on matters regarding the OSH Act; 

• The Advisory Committee on Construction 

Safety and Health (ACCSH), which advises the 

Secretary of Labor on construction safety and 

health standards and other matters; and

• The Maritime Advisory Committee for 

Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH), 

which advises the Secretary of Labor on 

workplace safety and health programs, policies 

and standards in the maritime industry.

In addition, OSHA may form short-term advisory 

committees to advise the agency on specific issues.
ALL ABOUT OSHA 31

OSHA Regional Offices

Region 1

Boston Regional Office

(CT*, ME*, MA, NH, RI, VT*)

JFK Federal Building

25 New Sudbury Street, Room E340 

Boston, MA 02203

(617) 565-9860 (617) 565-9827 Fax 

Region 2

New York Regional Office

(NJ*, NY*, PR*, VI*)

Federal Building

201 Varick Street, Room 670

New York, NY 10014

(212) 337-2378 (212) 337-2371 Fax

Region 3

Philadelphia Regional Office

(DE, DC, MD*, PA, VA*, WV)

The Curtis Center

170 S. Independence Mall West, Suite 740 West

Philadelphia, PA 19106-3309

(215) 861-4900 (215) 861-4904 Fax

Region 4 

Atlanta Regional Office

(AL, FL, GA, KY*, MS, NC*, SC*, TN*)

Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center

61 Forsyth Street, SW, Room 6T50

Atlanta, GA 30303

(678) 237-0400 (678) 237-0447 Fax

Region 5

Chicago Regional Office

(IL*, IN*, MI*, MN*, OH, WI)

John C. Kluczynski Federal Building 

230 South Dearborn Street, Room 3244

Chicago, IL 60604

(312) 353-2220 (312) 353-7774 Fax
32 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Region 6

Dallas Regional Office

(AR, LA, NM*, OK, TX)

A. Maceo Smith Federal Building 

525 Griffin Street, Room 602

Dallas, TX 75202

(972) 850-4145 (972) 850-4149 Fax

Region 7

Kansas City Regional Office

(IA*, KS, MO, NE)

Two Pershing Square Building

2300 Main Street, Suite 1010

Kansas City, MO 64108-2416

(816) 283-8745 (816) 283-0547 Fax

Region 8

Denver Regional Office

(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT*, WY*)

Cesar Chavez Memorial Building

1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 551

Denver, CO 80204

(720) 264-6550 (720) 264-6585 Fax

Region 9

San Francisco Regional Office

(AZ*, CA*, HI*, NV*, and American Samoa, 

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands)

San Francisco Federal Building 

90 7th Street, Suite 2650

San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 625-2547 (415) 625-2534 Fax

Region 10

Seattle Regional Office

(AK*, ID, OR*, WA*)

Fifth & Yesler Tower

300 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1280

Seattle, WA 98104

(206) 757-6700 (206) 757-6705 Fax
ALL ABOUT OSHA 33

*These states and territories operate their own 

OSHA-approved job safety and health plans and 

cover state and local government employees 

as well as private sector employees. The 

Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New 

York and Virgin Islands programs cover public 

employees only. (Private sector workers in these 

states are covered by Federal OSHA). States with 

approved programs must have standards that are 

identical to, or at least as effective as, the Federal 

OSHA standards.

Note: To get contact information for OSHA area 

offices, OSHA-approved state plans and OSHA 

consultation projects, please visit us online at 

www.osha.gov or call us at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).

How to Contact OSHA

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 

1970, employers are responsible for providing 

safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. 

OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for 

America’s working men and women by setting 

and enforcing standards, and providing training, 

education and assistance. For more information, 

visit www.osha.gov or call OSHA at 1-800-321-

OSHA (6742), TTY 1-877-889-5627.

For assistance, contact us.

We are OSHA. We can help. 
For more information:

Occupational 

Safety and Health

Administration

www.osha.gov (800) 321-OSHA (6742)

U.S. Department of Labor