Be Healthy and Safe in Your Workplace
There are laws that protect you in your workplace and can give you coverage if you're injured. Here's a brief summary of the most important laws.
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA)
This law requires employers to provide a safe workplace. To prevent accidents, the law requires that your employer fix dangerous equipment and correct problems. Your employer has to provide you with personal protective equipment when MIOSHA requires it. You don't have to pay for it. If you complain about a problem and it's not corrected, this law protects your from retaliation from your employer.
Michigan Hazardous Substance Right to Know Law (RTK)
This is an amendment to MIOSHA. Under this law, employees have to be informed of the identity and nature of the chemicals they work with or are exposed to.
• Your employer must identify and label the chemicals present in the workplace.
• Your employer has to keep a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on each dangerous substance and employees must have access to it.
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)
This act protects employees and students from asbestos in the workplace. The employer has to inspect for the presence of asbestos in school buildings, develop a maintenance and inspection plan and repair, and enclose or remove dangerous asbestos.
AHERA also requires that custodial and maintenance staff have information on where asbestos-containing materials are and have a minimum two-hour training on asbestos.
Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Act
This act is better known as workers' comp and it protects employees who are injured on the job.
Whenever you're injured on the job, it's important to report the injury to your employer on an accident report form. If you have to get treatment, the cost of the treatment and mileage are paid for by workers' comp. If you are off work for a specified amount of time, you are entitled to compensation.
You can refuse to perform work if you feel it's unsafe, but you will have to prove that it was an immediate serious risk to your health or safety. You could be charged with insubordination. Unless it's extremely risky to do the job, you're better off to do the work and grieve later. Talk to your association rep and/or UniServ director and check your contract before you take any action.