By Evan Lange
It’s illegal for a private employer in Texas to fire, demote, cut hours or otherwise punish you for raising a workplace safety or health concern, reporting an injury, or filing an OSHA complaint. Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act protects private-sector employees, but the deadline is very short: a retaliation complaint must generally be filed with OSHA within 30 days of the retaliation. You can file online, by phone at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742), by mail or in person, in any language. You may also refuse a task that poses an imminent danger of death or serious injury if certain conditions are met.
Houston’s refineries, chemical plants, construction sites, warehouses and ports are some of the most hazardous workplaces in the country. Workers who speak up about missing guardrails, gas leaks, broken equipment or skipped safety training help keep everyone alive, and sometimes they’re punished for it. Federal law protects them, but the clock starts fast.
Section 11(c) covers private-sector employees, and also former employees and job applicants.
An OSHA Section 11(c) retaliation complaint must generally be filed within 30 days after the retaliation. OSHA treats the date you mail, email, call, fax or deliver the complaint as the filing date. If you’re close to or past the deadline, file anyway and explain why; OSHA decides late filings case by case.
OSHA says you may refuse a task if you reasonably believe it poses an imminent danger of death or serious injury, you asked your employer to fix the hazard and it didn’t, there wasn’t time to get OSHA out, and you have no reasonable alternative. If the task would also require you to break a safety law that carries criminal penalties, Texas’s Sabine Pilot rule may protect you as well. See also your rights during hurricanes and storms.
No. Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act prohibits private employers from retaliating against employees for reporting safety or health hazards, reporting injuries, or filing OSHA complaints.
Generally 30 days from the retaliation. OSHA considers the date you mail, call, email, fax or deliver your complaint to be the filing date.
You can file online through OSHA’s whistleblower complaint form, by calling 1-800-321-OSHA (6742), by mail, or in person at an OSHA office. No particular form is required and complaints can be filed in any language.
You may refuse a task if you reasonably believe it poses an imminent danger of death or serious injury, you asked your employer to fix it, there was no time to involve OSHA, and you had no reasonable alternative.
Yes. OSHA’s Section 11(c) protections cover private-sector employees, former employees and applicants for employment.
The Lange Firm represents employees in Houston and across Texas. Attorney Evan Lange can help you meet the 30-day OSHA deadline and evaluate retaliation and wrongful termination claims.
You spoke up so everyone could go home safe.
The law says that can’t cost you your job.
2026- The Lange Firm all rights reserved. Please review the legal disclaimer. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service