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You have a right to a
safe and healthful workplace. That's why Congress passed the
Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970, requiring employers to provide workplaces free from
recognized
hazards. Since 1971, the Division of Labor and Industry has been
the agency
responsible for Maryland's Occupational Safety and Health Plan. The
Maryland Occupational
Safety and Health program, known as MOSH, is the state's OSHA program.
MOSH strives to
ensure that Maryland workplaces are safe and healthful through the use
of enforcement, training, and consultation
strategies. Safety and
health requirements designed to assure safe and healthful workplaces
are set out in the
law and in standards, which are
legally enforceable regulations governing conditions, practices, or
operations. Maryland
has adopted the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Standards
contained in Title 29
Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910 for General Industry, Part 1926
for Construction,
and Part 1928 for Agriculture. Consequently, Maryland employers are not
subject to dual
sets of standards. In addition to the federal standards, MOSH has
adopted several
regulations unique to Maryland.
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| Am I covered
by the MOSH Act? |
| The MOSH Act covers every Maryland
employer in a business,
trade, commercial or industrial activity, who has one or more
employees, including State and local governments. The Act does not
affect workplaces
covered under certain other laws such as
the Atomic Energy Act, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, and
the Longshoremen's and
Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. The MOSH Act does not apply to working conditions of employees of
the federal government
or any agency or instrumentality of a federal government agency.
Those workers are covered
under the Federal OSHA program. |
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| What
are my rights under MOSH? |
| The
MOSH Act grants workers important rights. Workers have a vital role
to play in identifying
and correcting problems in their workplaces, working with their
employers whenever
possible. Often, employers will promptly correct hazardous
conditions called to their
attention. But workers also can complain to MOSH about workplace
conditions threatening
their health or safety. They can file complaints in person, by
telephone, by fax or by
mail. |
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| What
are workers' responsibilities? |
MOSH
requires workers to comply with all safety and health standards
that apply to their
actions on the job. Employees should:
- Read
the MOSH poster.
- Follow
the employer's safety and
health rules and wear or use all required gear and equipment.
- Report
hazardous conditions to a
supervisor or safety committee.
- Report
hazardous conditions to MOSH,
if employers do not fix them.
- Cooperate with MOSH
inspectors.
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| What
are employers' responsibilities? |
| The
MOSH Act requires employers to provide each employee of the
employer with employment and a
place of employment that are safe and healthful; and free from each
recognized hazard that
is causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to the
employee. Employers'
responsibilities also include providing training, medical
examinations and recordkeeping. |
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| What
can I do if I think my workplace is unsafe? |
| If
you believe working conditions are unsafe or unhealthful, you first
should bring the
conditions to your employer's attention, if possible. Your employer
may want to contact
MOSH in order to gather information about how to improve working
conditions. If your employer does not correct the
hazard or disagrees
with you about the extent of the hazard, you may file a
complaint with MOSH. Meanwhile, stay at the worksite, but away
from the hazard.
You have
the right to file a
complaint with MOSH if you believe there may be a violation of an
OSHA standard or a
serious safety or health hazard at work. You may request that your
name not be revealed to
your employer.
If there is an
emergency or the hazard is immediately life-threatening,
call
1-888-257-MOSH
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Maryland
Occupational Safety and Health
1100 North Eutaw Street, Room 613
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 767-2189
FAX: (410) 767-2003
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