The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) is the most comprehensive legislation regarding worker safety in the United States. OSHA develops safety and health standards for all places of employment and works to enforce these standards through research, assessments, and fines. Essentially, OSHA guarantees that employers remove hazards and allow employees to request inspections for dangerous workplaces and post violations at work sites. OSHA inspections are conducted by the Department of Labor and include reviewing employee records, walking around the premises, interviewing employees, and discussing findings with the employer. Employers have a time frame in which they must fix any violations identified. Employers can proactively create safety awareness programs in which they identify and communicate hazards, reinforce safe practices, and promote safety within the workplace.

In this exercise, please read the mini-case and answer the questions that follow.

Jim Cook began working for a company in Cleveland that produced acids used to clean industrial equipment. A few weeks after taking the job, Jim realized that chemicals in the plant may be causing his eyes to burn, a determination that was subsequently confirmed in a written diagnosis from a physician. Jim told his boss about the problem, but the boss said that Jim would just have to get used to the chemical fumes that were causing his eye problems. After several weeks, Jim decided to take his concerns to a local environmental group that reported it to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A month later, Jim lost his job.

What should Jim have done when communicating his eye issues to his boss?
a Told him it might not be a big deal, but he just wanted to make him aware
b Told him he would sue the employer for unsafe working conditions
c Written an email or memo about his concern to establish a paper trail
d Told his co-workers and friends that his job was not safe