Each and every employee has the right to a reasonably safe and healthy workplace. While certain industries carry more of an inherent risk than others, employers are obligated to do everything in their power to ensure proper training, to warn employees of potential dangers, and to enforce safety measures.
As an employee, it is even within your legal rights to refuse to perform any work that you believe would seriously put you or your co-workers in danger, without repercussions from your boss. In addition, you are entitled to ask California Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) inspectors to examine your workplace and check it for any safety violations. This request for a safety check may be done anonymously, if you wish.
Employers are obligated to do the following:
- Let employees know about dangerous materials they could be exposed to while on the job, about potential health effects from these materials, and about protective equipment.
- Give employees advance notice before exposure to any chemicals that could potentially cause cancer or reproductive harm (under Proposition 65).
- Allow employees to access company health and safety records. This includes all injuries and illnesses related to the job itself that have occurred within the past five years.
- Provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees.
If your employer refuses to provide these basic safety measures for you or your coworkers, and you were injured because of their negligence, you are entitled to pursue legal action. In addition, if you are disciplined or fired because of your safety report, you can enlist the help of an employment lawyer in Los Angeles to pursue compensation. Don’t hesitate to protect your right to a safe working environment!
Los Angeles Employment Law Attorney Alan Burton Newman Can Help!
Harvard graduate and accomplished employment law attorney Alan Burton Newman has been a member of the California bar for over 30 years. In that time, he has recovered millions in settlements and verdicts on behalf of employees throughout Los Angeles and the nation. His extensive experience against large companies such as ABC Television, Chevron, Hasbro, Skechers, and much more has established him as a leading employment law attorney. If you have been injured from working in unsafe conditions or penalized for reporting such conditions, you could be entitled to compensation.
Contact Alan Burton Newman today for a free case evaluation!