744 Working with OSHA

Worker Responsibilities

Under Section 5(b) of the OSHA Act Under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, workers have several responsibilities to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. It is important for workers to take these responsibilities seriously to keep themselves and their colleagues safe and healthful.

These responsibilities include:

• Following the employer's safety and health rules and wearing required personal protective equipment.
• Reporting hazardous conditions or accidents to their employer as soon as possible.
• Participating in training programs provided by the employer to learn about workplace hazards and how to prevent them.
• Cooperating with OSHA inspectors and providing them with any necessary information.
• Exercising their rights under the OSH Act, such as the right to file a complaint with OSHA if they believe their employer is violating safety and health standards.

Although the OSH Act states that each employee must comply with all rules, regulations and orders issued under the OSH Act, the Act does not permit the issuance of citations and penalties to employees. Section 9 of the Act, titled "Citations", provides for issuing citations only to employers. (OSHA Ltr of Interpretation 10-05-1990)

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