Employer Responsibilities - Employee Rights

Federal law entitles employees to a safe workplace that is free of known health and safety hazards. Employers must ensure that employees' rights are protected. In order to do so, employers must be aware of specific employee rights.

An employer must ensure an employee's rights to the following:

• Be trained in a language they understand
• Work on machines that are safe
• Be provided required safety gear, such as gloves or a harness and lifeline for falls
• Be protected from toxic chemicals
• Request an OSHA inspection
• Speak to the OSHA inspector
• Report an injury or illness
• Obtain copies of medical records
• See copies of the workplace injury and illness log
• Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses
• Get copies of test results done to find hazards in the workplace

Employers must make sure that their employees are comfortable asking questions about these rights and that they will not suffer retaliation for doing so.

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