Employees covered by any of 22 whistleblower statutes administered by OSHA can now file their complaints with the agency online. 

The five-part online form prompts workers to include basic whistleblower complaint information so they can be contacted easily for follow-up. Complaints are routed automatically to the appropriate regional whistleblower investigators. The form is downloadable and can be submitted in hard-copy format by fax, mail or hand delivery. 

"The ability of workers to speak out and exercise their rights without fear of retaliation provides the backbone for some of American workers' most essential protections," OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels said. "Whistleblower laws protect not only workers, but also the public at large and now workers will have an additional avenue available to file a complaint with OSHA." 

The online option supplements current procedures for filing, such as preparing a non-electronic written complaint and calling an OSHA office or a hotline number.