How to file a workplace safety or health complaint
Mrs. Gemstone from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Under state and federal laws, workers have the right to file complaints about workplace safety and health hazards.
Under state and federal laws, workers have the right to file complaints about workplace safety and health hazards.
Complaints can be filed with the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program, part of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, in two ways:
By filling out a form at https://www.doli.virginia.gov/vosh-programs/how-to-file-a-vosh-complaint/
Or by phoning your nearest VOSH office as listed at https://www.doli.virginia.gov/about/doli-offices-statewide/
By law, complainants have the right to request that their names not be revealed to their employers. So-called whistleblower laws protect complainants from firings, demotions and other retaliation.
In filing a complaint, workers should describe the hazardous conditions, estimate how many employees have been exposed to the hazard and explain whether the employer has tried to address the problem.
VOSH oversees all private-sector and state- and local-government workplaces in Virginia.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates federal government agencies, the U.S. Postal Service, military facilities and military contractors in the state. Employees of those institutions may file a complaint:
With VOSH, which will refer it to OSHA.
Or directly with OSHA as described at https://www.osha.gov/workers/file-complaint. OSHA’s Virginia office is in Norfolk. The phone number is 757-441-3820.