Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

If OSHA only knew...........

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    If OSHA only knew...........

    I'm looking for opinions on this one. I have been working in the same call center now for close to 18 months. In all of that time, not once have I ever seen a cleaning crew come in (unless it's after hours) to vacuum the carpets, clean the restrooms, or anything of the kind. In addition to that, the men's room often runs out of paper towels and handsoap to where someone often has to hunt down a bottle of it, or has to go buy some on their lunch hour!

    I also discovered from a co-worker, who has been here longer than me, that not once has there been a crew in to clean the air ducts. I think this is the reason why I cough so much at work, yet when I'm out of this hellhole, I seem to be fine.

    A couple of friends have said that calling OSHA probably would do no good, because it is a place where employees work, and not a place for the public to visit. Does anyone else know about this? I would love to know, because I really do need to make a living, and cannot afford at this time to seek a job elsewhere.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    It's called the OCCUPATIONAL Safety and Health Association (I think it's association) for a reason.

    They're on contractors all the time for not being safe on construction sites. Notifying them is absolutely the right thing to do. Good luck!
    Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

    Proverbs 22:6

    Comment

    • #3
      Quoth greensinestro View Post
      A couple of friends have said that calling OSHA probably would do no good, because it is a place where employees work, and not a place for the public to visit.
      Employees are people too.

      If the air conditioning hasn't been cleaned, your company is inviting a legionella outbreak. In which case it becomes not just an occupational health and safety issue, but a public health issue.

      Putting it very fundamentally: the company is paying you to work for them, not to get (potentially fatally) sick for them. You must insist on healthy working conditions - and OHSA is there to back you up on that insistance.
      Seshat's self-help guide:
      1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
      2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
      3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
      4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

      "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

      Comment

      • #4
        SuperDan's Magic Phone Number number two: 1-800-321-OSHA

        http://www.osha.gov
        "Who loves not women, wine, and song remains a fool his whole life long" ~Martin Luther
        "Always send a lazy man to the angel of death" ~Martin Luther
        My MySpace
        My LiveJournal

        Comment

        • #5
          A couple of friends have said that calling OSHA probably would do no good, because it is a place where employees work, and not a place for the public to visit.


          If it's a place for the public to visit, you call the public health commission or whatever it may be called. That's probably who your friends are thinking of.

          If it's your workplace, that's what OSHA is for.

          And yes, do call OSHA post-haste.
          Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

          "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

          Comment

          • #6
            OK, it is done!

            I filed a complaint with OSHA, so we'll see what happens. I also should have asked for anyone out there who may know of any incidents where an employer retaliated for something like this. I requested that my name not be given to my employer, but with this age of computers and technology, my concern is them finding out anyway about it.

            But, it's either stay and work under dangerous health conditions, or quit, which I cannot afford to do at the present time.

            Comment

            • #7
              I think there is a Federal Whistle-Blowers law but I don't know if it pertains to reporting OSHA violations.
              Figers are vicious I tell ya. They crawl up your leg and steal your belly button lint.

              I'm a case study.

              Comment

              • #8
                I'm not worried. I've mentioned these conditions before to management as have others, but to no avail. Employees at Publix did this for dangerous working conditions, and nothing seemed to be done to them.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Quoth greensinestro View Post
                  I requested that my name not be given to my employer, but with this age of computers and technology, my concern is them finding out anyway about it.
                  Well, unless you implicate yourself in a way they can monitor, if they do find out and issue repercussions, they can be arrested. By law, OSHA cannot give that information if the request to be anonymous is made, which means they can only try to find out through areas they have legal access to. So...

                  If the complaint was made through a channel they have legal access to, or they make assumptions it was you, then you can go to the labour board for harassment on any repercussions.

                  If the complaint was made by something they don't have legal access to, then they face charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This one is a federal crime, so they face jail time irregardless.

                  So basically, they can't touch you for filing the complaint.
                  I AM the evil bastard!
                  A+ Certified IT Technician

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Quoth lordlundar View Post
                    Well, unless you implicate yourself in a way they can monitor, if they do find out and issue repercussions, they can be arrested. By law, OSHA cannot give that information if the request to be anonymous is made, which means they can only try to find out through areas they have legal access to. So...

                    If the complaint was made through a channel they have legal access to, or they make assumptions it was you, then you can go to the labour board for harassment on any repercussions.

                    If the complaint was made by something they don't have legal access to, then they face charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This one is a federal crime, so they face jail time irregardless.

                    So basically, they can't touch you for filing the complaint.


                    Lordlundar, thank you! Now I feel better about it.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      If you want information on OSHA's standards for indoor air quality go to www.osha.gov/SLTC/indoorairquality/inde.html From there you can also get all the OSHA regulations. I have to use this site a lot when it comes to checking our safety manuals and making sure we have the latest information

                      Comment

                      Previous template Next
                      Working...
                      X