OSHA Publishes Interim Final Rules on Whistleblower Provisions
Posted by proforma on September 14, 2010 | No Comments
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published interim final rules intended to protect workers who voice their concerns about safety, health, and security issues, and in particular, set procedures for handling worker retaliation complaints. The rule itself is available here and information on ”whistleblower” provisions is available at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.
A survey conducted by the Ethics Resource Center, entitled, “Who’s Telling You What You Need to Know, Who Isn’t, and What You Can Do About It,” found that women and nonunion workers, managers (not non-managers) were more likely to report misconduct; US companies or US-based multinationals were more likely to see reporting than foreign-owned. Companies with strong codes of conduct and training experienced higher reporting rates. An useful article on what employers can do to reduce whistleblower incidents is available here.
Tags:OSHA, whistleblower, Workplace Safety
Filed Under: Workplace Safety
A UPS driver was fired after his refusal to drive a truck he reported as unsafe due to inoperable lights on the trailer and tractor. OSHA has ordered United Parcel Service to pay the driver $111,008 in back wages, benefits, compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney’s fees. OSHA published details in this 
