Occupational Safety and Health Administration Logs

OSHA regulations and power safety...untrained employee assigned to do power work!?

A said telecommunications company is performing not so good right now. So to cut back on cost and having trained contractors come in and do the work, some are being asked to perform power related tasks to equipment that have a ton of live current going through it. No one has been provided ANY training for this ...just a method of procedure and a screw driver. Can/Should I make a complaint to OSHA for this because I am really scared someone could get hurt if they incorrectly touch the wrong thing? I know this is a serious issue and I am for certain about the facts because that employee would be ME. I work alone and at night. NOT knowing anything about working with power and being asked to do this which by the way is outside of my job description is dangerous. One wrong move and obviously I wouldn't know what that would be until I did it and I could be injured and my body would be found the next morning. As far as favors go, I could careless because my life is more important to me than what any company has to offer. If the company gave a sh*t about my future, they wouldn't be asking me to do something like this anyway. The company won't be caring for my children if I am mamed or dead.

Public Comments

1. are you a party directly related to the giving of direction to said employees and do you/have you seen their training records or have otherwise firsthand knowledge that they are 'untrained'? you certainly have the right to complain to OSHA about anything. but, ask yourself if you have career aspirations at this company. if you file a formal complaint and they find out it was you, don't expect any favors in the future. we all are being pinched budgetwise and otherwise in every industry at every level of management....so, yes, we cut corners, but no manager in his right mind would put ANY employee into a job that directly could result in their serious injury or death. you better be sure you have the whole story and can back up your claims with documentation when you go to OSHA, otherwise you may find yourself unemployed. having said that, if there is a serious issue related to employee safety and/or employer negligence and you can back up your complaint with proof, you certainly have every right to go to OSHA or the labor board in your state