Occupational Health and Safety Laws

First, you need to find out if you are covered by federal OSHA laws. All federal workers are covered by OSHA. If you work in the private sector, you are covered by an OSHA regional office under federal OSHA or an OSHA program operated by your state government. Public-sector workers in states that run their own OSHA programs are covered by those states. Public-sector workers are not covered in states under federal OSHA jurisdiction. You can find out if your state has a separate OSHA-approved plan by going to any of these resources: 

Safe Jobs Now! 

AFSCME Health and Safety Fact Sheet on Public Employee OSHA Laws 

OSHA Workers’ Page 

In addition to giving information about coverage, this part of the OSHA Web site tells how you can file an OSHA complaint online, what your rights and the employer’s responsibilities are, and has links to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and OSH Standards — the main documents you will be using to determine if a violation has occurred. Additional information is available on imminent danger, the right to refuse dangerous work and protection against discrimination for filing complaints. 

Occupational Safety and Health Act

Occupational Safety and Health Standards 

State Statutes on Labor and Industrial Safety