When people go to work they expect a few things. They expect to be able to perform the duties of their job, they expect to have the tools necessary for their position, and they expect to be safe while at work. In general, if a workplace is unsafe there are some courses of action workers can take to protect their rights.
An unsafe workplace is any job site that is not in compliance with the rules and regulations outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Any workplace can be found to be unsafe if it does not meet OSHA safety standards. OSHA requires everything from balcony railings to unblocked fire exits in all circumstances.
If a worker is injured on the job because of a violation of OSHA regulations, they may be able to sue. For example, if a construction worker is working on a jobsite but is not provided protective equipment by their employer and subsequently suffer an injury, the workplace may be found guilty of negligence for failing to maintain an OSHA compliant workspace.
If a workplace is not OSHA compliant, workers can submit a claim. OSHA will then investigate that report when it is able to and, if the workplace is found to be in noncompliance with OSHA regulations, the company will be fined and forced to correct their outstanding issues.
