OSHA Introduces New Online Form for Whistleblowers

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is seeking to streamline the whistleblower process by introducing an online form to register discrimination and retaliation complaints. The form provides enough information for whistleblower investigators to follow up and begin a case. Previously, whistleblowers could only file a written complaint or call the agency’s hotline.
The new online form prompts the worker to include basic whistleblower complaint information so they can be easily contacted for follow-up. Complaints are automatically routed to the appropriate regional whistleblower investigators. In addition, the complaint form can also be downloaded and submitted to the agency in hard-copy format by fax, mail or hand-delivery. The paper version is identical to the electronic version and requests the same information necessary to initiate a whistleblower investigation.
OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of 22 statutes protecting employees who report violations of various securities laws, trucking, airline, nuclear power, pipeline, environmental, rail, public transportation, workplace safety and health, and consumer protection laws. Detailed information on employee whistleblower rights, including fact sheets and instructions on how to submit the form in hard-copy format, is available online at www.whistleblowers.gov.