Final answer:
OSHA does not allow employees to ignore safety rules; it provides rights for a safe workplace and protects against retaliation for exercising these rights. Employers have the responsibility to comply with OSHA standards and inform workers of hazards.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employees are granted numerous rights to ensure their workplace is safe. However, OSHA does not give employees the right to ignore workplace safety rules and regulations, as this would defeat the purpose of maintaining a safe work environment. The rights afforded to employees include working conditions that do not pose a risk of serious harm, the ability to file a confidential complaint with OSHA for a workplace inspection, receiving information and training on workplace hazards in a language they understand, access to records of work-related injuries and illnesses, copies of tests measuring workplace hazards, participating in OSHA inspections, and protection from retaliation for exercising these rights.
Employers are responsible for creating a safe workplace by adhering to OSHA standards, providing safety training, keeping accurate injury and illness records, performing necessary workplace tests, supplying personal protective equipment at no cost, providing medical tests as required, displaying OSHA posters about rights and responsibilities, and reporting certain types of incidents to OSHA promptly. Moreover, they must inform workers about hazards and must not retaliate against workers exercising their rights under the OSHA.