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(DCBS Public Information Officer Aaron Corvin)
Is your work environment safe and healthy?

You have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. That right includes the ability to raise safety or health concerns with your manager or safety committee and to get those concerns resolved.

However, you may file a complaint with Oregon OSHA.
Oregon OSHA advances and improves on-the-job safety and health for all workers in Oregon. We ensure employers are accountable for a full range of safety and health requirements including everything from fall protection and safe use of ladders to employee training and respiratory protection. Here's how we can help:

First, visit our website at osha.oregon.gov and fill out a complaint form. You can also call an Oregon OSHA field office that's closest to you. We have offices in Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend, Medford, and Pendleton. When you file a complaint it's important to be as specific as possible.

Specifics include the exact nature of the hazard, the location of the hazard such as a particular room or building at the employer's address, and the basis of your knowledge of the hazard. Once your complaint is filed, we'll either conduct an on-site inspection or open an inquiry with the employer.

If we visit the employer's work site and identify violations of safety or health rules then we will

issue citations, levy penalties as appropriate, and require the employer to correct the hazards.

When we handle a complaint through an inquiry, we contact the employer and describe the alleged hazards. The employer must respond in writing in a timely manner. If the hazards exist, the employer must document the actions it has taken or plans to take to correct them.

If you provide your information, we will then send you a copy of the employer's response. If you're not satisfied with our inquiry, you may dispute the response. Anyone who knows about a workplace safety or health hazard may contact Oregon OSHA and we'll evaluate the hazards. At your request, we'll also keep your identity confidential. You may worry that your employer will retaliate against you if you raise safety or health concerns where you work. Here's the bottom line: Employers cannot punish workers for expressing concerns about workplace safety and health — that's discrimination — and it's against the law. If you think your employer is discriminating against you then visit the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries website or call BOLI's Civil Rights Division.

And remember, if you believe your employer isn't taking your safety or health concerns seriously, Oregon OSHA is here to help.