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Vermont Workplace Hazards on the Job Demands an OSHA Inspection

When Vermont workers inform the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that there are workplace safety concerns at their company, OSHA can make a decision whether or not to send out an inspector, also known as a compliance safety and health officer (CSHO) to inspect that specific Vermont company. The goal of this inspection is to look at the entire workplace for potential hazards that could cause workplace accidents in Vermont.

Workers' Rights during the OSHA Inspection

When a compliance officer inspects a company, employees can accompany the officer on the inspection. Additionally, employees can have their workers' representative from the union or another representative attend the inspection as well.

According to the OSHA Act, employers are absolutely not allowed to choose the worker representative that accompanies the inspector. The employees must choose the representative or have their union choose the workers' representative. Generally, union representatives will attend the inspection, at least in the areas where they have members working.

What does the OSHA inspector do during this inspection?

• Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the facility
• Talk to the workers to find out if there are any workplace hazard complaints
• Find out if there are workplace accidents that have resulted

Workers can also point out things to the inspector. For example, if the work environment and conditions that the inspector is reviewing are not normal, workers need to describe how their work conditions are normally kept. Workers have the right to talk with the compliance officer confidentially to inform the inspector if there are hazards that he isn't seeing during the inspection.

OSHA also wants to encourage employees to tell the compliance officer if Vermont work accidents have occurred due to hazards and point out those hazards. Employees can help the compliance officer see the real picture, not just the one that the employer is showing on that day of the inspection.

Workers' Rights After the Inspection

Following the OSHA inspection, the inspector will meet with the employee representatives and employer to discuss the on-the-job hazards that were found. OSHA will provide their report on request, and the employer can challenge the abatement period. For example, if OSHA is requiring the employer to correct a hazard, the employer may contest this or the time OSHA is giving them to repair and correct the hazard.

Additionally, if OSHA did not find any hazards after an inspection and didn't issue any citations, employees can request clarification from the area director and can appeal to the regional OSHA administrator.

If you suffered from a workplace injury in Vermont, you may have rights to financial compensation under Vermont's workers' compensation laws. Find out more about your legal rights today by calling a knowledgeable Vermont workers' compensation attorney at the Law Office of Charles Powell to talk about your injury in a free legal consultation at 877-295-7773.