50-3-304 - Notice by employees of dangerous conditions or violations.
50-3-304. Notice by employees of dangerous conditions or violations.
(a) (1) Any employees or representative of employees who believes that a violation of a safety or health standard exists that threatens physical harm, or that an imminent danger exists, may request an inspection by giving notice of the violation or danger to the commissioner.
(2) The notice shall be in writing, shall set forth with reasonable particularity the grounds for the notice, and shall be signed by employees or representatives of employees, and a copy shall be provided the employer or the employer's agent no later than at the time of inspection.
(3) Upon the request of the person giving the notice, the person's name and the names of individual employees referred to in the notice shall not appear in the copy or on any record published, released or made available pursuant to § 50-3-305.
(4) If upon receipt of the notification the commissioner determines there are reasonable grounds to believe that the violation or danger exists, the commissioner shall make a special investigation in accordance with §§ 50-3-301 50-3-303, this section and §§ 50-3-305 and 50-3-306 as soon as practicable, to determine if a violation or danger exists.
(5) If the commissioner determines there are not reasonable grounds to believe that a violation or danger exists, the commissioner shall notify the employees or representative of the employees in writing of the determination.
(b) Prior to or during any inspection of a workplace, any employees or representative of employees employed in the workplace may notify the commissioner, in writing, of any violation of this chapter that they have reason to believe exists in the workplace. The commissioner shall, by regulation, establish procedures for informal review of any refusal by a representative of the commissioner to issue a citation with respect to the alleged violation and shall furnish the employees or representative of employees requesting the review a written statement of the reasons for the commissioner's final disposition of the case.
[Acts 1972, ch. 561, § 8; 1977, ch. 111, § 12; T.C.A., § 50-523.]