When healthcare workers blow the whistle, OSHA has been listening.
The notice of OSHA’s filing of a suit against a Brighton, CO, medical clinic [1] for firing a worker who complained to OSHA about unsafe conditions in the practice is another reminder that:
- OSHA is charged with conducting whistleblower investigations, and not only for safety standards but for 20 other federal statutes
- It is not only big businesses that draws OSHA’s wrath, but small ones, too
Earlier this year, OSHA posted notices of whistleblower suits against an Ohio dental practice [2] and more recently a Massachusetts dental practice [3].
The former case involved unsafe mercury spill clean-up procedures and the latter one concerned removing caps from contaminated needles to save space in sharps containers. That investigation also resulted in a separate $26,400 in fines for eight alleged serious violations of the Bloodborne Pathogens and Hazard Communication standards.
And since OSHA issued updated whistleblower investigation guidelines [4] in September, you should expect to see more investigations.
For more resources on avoiding whistleblower problems see:
- Staying clear of whistleblower protection problems in your practice [5]
- OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program web page [6] employees involved in whistleblower complaints.
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