Right to Refuse Workplace Hazards



Right to Refuse Workplace Hazards

Under the law, a worker has the right to refuse to perform work that poses a threat to himself or another person. He can exercise this right if the refusal puts the life, health or physical integrity of another person. The employee must immediately notify his supervisor (or representative of the employer), and give the reasons for his refusal to work. According to the guidelines provided by the law, the employee must remain available in the workplace, and can perform other tasks, if necessary. If an employee is discriminated against by the employer because he refused to perform unsafe work, the potential remedies are reinstatement and backpay.

Workers can face a huge number of hazards irrespective of the occupation they belong to. The purpose of the Occupational health and safety is to focus on a wide range of workplace vulnerabilities and risk from accident prevention to other subtle yet life threatening hazards which includes poisonous fumes, dust, noise, high temperatures, tension and much more. The prevention of such work-related hazards, diseases and risk is the core principle of the occupational health and safety programs and works as a preemptive measure, rather than a reactive measure to resolve issues once they have taken place. There are various forms of hazards which can be found in a workplace which includes chemical, physical, natural, emotional, non-application of ergonomic standards, etc. Hazards and diseases related to workplace continue to increase around the world due to the huge number of risk and threats in most workplaces but also because most of the employers fail to give proper attention to this critical area (Repa, 2010).

Valuing Health and Safety allows a company to stand out favorably, while promoting the achievement of business objectives. Indeed, the establishment of a ...