You can report unsafe working conditions to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) online, by phone at 800-321-6742, by fax or mail, or in person at your local OSHA office. You have the right to file confidentially, anonymously, and in any language. The complaint should be filed as soon as possible after you notice the hazard, and OSHA cannot issue violations for incidents that occurred more than six months ago.
Four Ways to File an OSHA Complaint
OSHA offers multiple channels, and the one you choose affects how quickly things move. Here’s what each looks like in practice:
- Online: Use the complaint form at osha.gov. This is the fastest way to get your report into the system.
- Phone: Call 800-321-6742 or your local OSHA area office directly. Useful if you want to describe a complex situation verbally or need guidance on what to include.
- Fax, mail, or email: Download and complete the OSHA complaint form, or simply write a letter describing the hazard. Send it to your local OSHA office. Include the employer’s name, address, and contact details.
- In person: Walk into your nearest OSHA office. This option makes sense if you have physical evidence or documents to share.
A signed, written complaint is more likely to result in an actual on-site inspection. Unsigned or anonymous complaints are still accepted, but OSHA may handle them through a faster phone-and-fax process instead of sending an inspector. In that process, OSHA calls the employer, describes the alleged hazards, and requires a written response within five days outlining corrective actions taken or planned.
What to Include in Your Complaint
The stronger your complaint, the more seriously it will be treated. At a minimum, provide the employer’s name, address, and a clear description of the hazard. Be specific: where in the facility the danger exists, what type of harm it could cause, how many workers are exposed, and how long the condition has persisted.
Before filing, gather whatever evidence you can. Photos or videos of the hazard, dates and times you observed the condition, injury or illness logs, safety data sheets, and any written communications with your employer about the issue all strengthen your case. If coworkers witnessed the same hazard, their names (with their permission) add weight. Keep copies of everything you submit.
You can also have someone else file on your behalf, such as a union representative, a family member, or an attorney. This is especially useful if you’re concerned about being identified.
Filing Anonymously or Confidentially
OSHA accepts anonymous complaints. You do not have to provide your name. If you do provide your name, OSHA treats your identity as confidential and will not disclose it to your employer. The distinction matters: a confidential complaint (where OSHA knows who you are but keeps it from your employer) carries more weight than a fully anonymous one because OSHA can follow up with you for details. Anonymous complaints are still investigated, but they’re less likely to trigger an on-site inspection.
What Happens After You File
OSHA prioritizes complaints based on severity. Imminent danger, meaning a situation where workers face an immediate risk of death or serious physical harm, is the top priority. Fatalities and catastrophes requiring hospitalization of three or more workers come second. General employee complaints rank third.
If your complaint meets certain criteria (such as reporting imminent danger or involving a serious hazard at a workplace with a history of violations), OSHA will conduct an on-site inspection. If those criteria aren’t met, OSHA uses its phone/fax investigation process: they contact the employer, describe the alleged hazards, and require a written response within five days. If the employer’s response is inadequate, OSHA can then escalate to a full inspection.
Employers found in violation face fines of up to $16,550 per serious violation. Willful or repeated violations carry penalties up to $165,514 per violation.
Your Right to Refuse Dangerous Work
In extreme situations, you can legally refuse to perform a task. This right is protected when all four of the following conditions are true:
- You asked your employer to fix the danger and they didn’t.
- You genuinely believe an imminent danger exists (this is called acting in “good faith”).
- A reasonable person would agree the situation poses a real risk of death or serious injury.
- The hazard is so urgent that there isn’t enough time to get it corrected through normal channels like requesting an OSHA inspection.
All four conditions must be met. If even one isn’t, the legal protection may not apply. When in doubt, file the complaint and let OSHA assess the risk rather than walking off the job without meeting these criteria.
Protection Against Retaliation
Federal law prohibits your employer from firing, demoting, transferring, reducing your hours, or retaliating in any way because you filed a safety complaint, participated in an inspection, or exercised any right under workplace safety law. This protection comes from Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
If your employer retaliates, you have 30 days from the date of the retaliatory action to file a whistleblower complaint. This is a strict deadline. You can file online using OSHA’s whistleblower complaint form, by calling 800-321-6742, or by sending a letter to your local OSHA office. Unlike safety complaints, whistleblower complaints require your name and contact information so OSHA can investigate and follow up.
State Plans and Where to File
Twenty-two states and territories run their own OSHA-approved safety programs that cover both private and public sector workers: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. If you work in one of these states, you’ll file with your state’s program rather than federal OSHA, though the process is similar and protections must be at least as strong as federal standards.
Seven additional states (Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and the Virgin Islands) run state plans that cover only state and local government workers. Private sector workers in those states file with federal OSHA. In all remaining states, federal OSHA handles everything for private sector workers, but state and local government employees are not covered by federal OSHA, which creates a gap worth knowing about.
Reporting in Mining and Aviation
Two major industries fall outside OSHA’s jurisdiction entirely. If you work in mining, your complaints go to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). You can report hazardous conditions anonymously by calling 1-800-746-1553, which is staffed 24 hours a day, or by filing online through MSHA’s hazardous condition complaint system. You can also email questions to [email protected].
Aviation workers report safety concerns through the FAA’s Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), which encourages voluntary reporting of safety issues. The program is designed with enforcement incentives, meaning employees can report problems, even ones that may involve regulatory violations, without automatically facing disciplinary action. This structure exists because underreporting in aviation can have catastrophic consequences.
Start With Your Employer, Then Escalate
Before going to a federal or state agency, it’s worth raising the issue internally if you feel safe doing so. Notify a supervisor, safety officer, or HR department in writing. This creates a paper trail showing you gave the employer a chance to correct the problem, which strengthens any future complaint. If your workplace has a safety committee or union, loop them in as well.
If the employer ignores the issue or the hazard is too urgent to wait, skip straight to OSHA. There is no requirement that you exhaust internal options first. You can file a federal complaint at any point, and doing so quickly matters since the six-month window for OSHA to issue violations starts from when the hazard existed, not when you noticed it.