OSHA Balks at Workers Seeking Courts’ Help for ‘Imminent Danger’

If workers believe they face an “imminent danger” they should contact OSHA, not a federal judge, an attorney for the US Department of Labor told an appeals court considering when judges are empowered to intervene in workplace safety issues.

“If there is a new imminent danger, employees can file another complaint with OSHA,” Amy Tryon, a senior attorney with the DOL’s Office of the Solicitor in Washington, told the three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in oral arguments Wednesday.

The judges are considering the circumstances under which the law that created the Occupational Safety ...