Work aims to maintain or improve your living conditions by financing your necessities. While this may be the case, risks are still likely to happen. The nature of some jobs is inherently more dangerous than others resulting in injuries or illnesses with varying degrees of severity.
But no worker is immune to potential slip-and-fall accidents, repetitive motion damages, or exposure to hazardous substances. If you end up sustaining work-related injuries, you must know that you have specific rights for your protection while on the job.
Fighting for your rights
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) assures workers that federal laws impose their right to work in a hazard-free environment.
Aside from your right to refuse to work in conditions that present clear threats, such as close contact with toxic chemicals, you also have the right to:
- Receive appropriate training in a comprehensible manner
- Work with safe equipment and protective gear
- Request for safety surveillance and later discuss the findings with an OSHA inspector
- Report any potential injury or disease without fear that your employer may retaliate by firing you, reducing your salary, or demoting and transferring you to another position
Suppose you are already in pain and suffering from severe occupational injuries. In that case, you must seek help from your legal counsel to guide you through the reporting process and possible benefits for Connecticut’s Workers’ Compensation Program under the state’s Department of Administrative Services.
Surviving to work another day
Once injured, you must promptly inform your supervisor. Even if they are not available, make sure you still seek medical assistance. Your employer must then report to OSHA within eight hours of your injuries or 24 hours of your possible hospitalization or major medical procedure. Your legal counsel can ensure that you file your complaint without missing any paperwork or deadline. They could also fight alongside you to receive the monetary compensation you urgently need to pay for immediate and long-term care, so you can get back on your feet in no time.