The United States, Department of Labor's, OSHA, has ordered a trucking company, Fort Myers, to reinstate a worker, who was fired after he refused to drive two trucks that were unsafe. The employee had even notified the company about other safety problems.
Furthermore, OSHA had also ordered Zurla Trucking, to pay the driver $125,000, for punitive damages as well as for compensatory damages and other unspecified back wages.
The employee in question, was fired in February 2008, after he refused to operate two trucks, that he found unsafe. According to the federal law, companies are not allowed to fire their employees, if they refuse to drive vehicles that do not meet the federal safety standards.
This decision, that has been taken by OSHA has come under sharp criticism. The Labor Department’s inspector general, even criticized OSHA for failing to investigate several complaints of reprisal, against workers who report safety hazards or other law violations.
The Government Accounting Office, even raised several issues with OSHA, especially with regards to failing to ensure, the whistleblower case investigators were properly trained.
Not many people are aware about the fact that, the Untied States, regulatory agency, OSHA, is primarily responsible for enforcing and issuing whistleblower protections under 18 different federal statutes. Some of them are even mentioned below:
1.The Occupational Safety and Health Act;
2.Several environmental statutes;
3.And even the trucking safety law that the agency Zurla company has violated.
Furthermore, OSHA had also ordered Zurla Trucking, to pay the driver $125,000, for punitive damages as well as for compensatory damages and other unspecified back wages.
The employee in question, was fired in February 2008, after he refused to operate two trucks, that he found unsafe. According to the federal law, companies are not allowed to fire their employees, if they refuse to drive vehicles that do not meet the federal safety standards.
This decision, that has been taken by OSHA has come under sharp criticism. The Labor Department’s inspector general, even criticized OSHA for failing to investigate several complaints of reprisal, against workers who report safety hazards or other law violations.
The Government Accounting Office, even raised several issues with OSHA, especially with regards to failing to ensure, the whistleblower case investigators were properly trained.
Not many people are aware about the fact that, the Untied States, regulatory agency, OSHA, is primarily responsible for enforcing and issuing whistleblower protections under 18 different federal statutes. Some of them are even mentioned below:
1.The Occupational Safety and Health Act;
2.Several environmental statutes;
3.And even the trucking safety law that the agency Zurla company has violated.
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