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Employees have right to work without fear of workplace accidents

Broken bones, cuts, bruises and even death all occur within the workplace. The average New York resident goes to work each day expecting to return home after earning that day’s wages. While there, the worker does not usually expect to fall victim to one of the many workplace accidents that occur every year.

Workers in the state of New York have the right to work in a safe environment. If conditions appear to be unsafe but do not appear to present an immediate threat, the worker should notify the employer in written form. Then, if the employer fails to address the issue, the worker should notify the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). There are both state and federal laws in place that protect the worker from retaliation by the employer as the result of reporting hazardous conditions.

If conditions within the workplace appear to present an immediate danger to workers, then the condition should be reported to OSHA. Furthermore, if the employer refuses to correct the situation and an alternative is not available to the employee, the employee has the right to refuse to work under the current conditions. This applies to circumstances in which there appears to be an immediate risk of death or serious injury if the worker continues under the given conditions.

Employers within New York have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which their employees perform their assigned tasks. When this does not happen, the likelihood of workplace accidents occurring increases. Employees who are affected by a workplace accident can benefit by reviewing their situation with an experienced worker’s compensation attorney.

Source: employment.findlaw.com, “Protecting Yourself from Unsafe Working Conditions“, Accessed on March 13, 2017

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