What to Do When ADOSH Receives a Complaint About Your Workplace

Employees, their representatives and others can file a complaint with ADOSH about a workplace hazard. ADOSH may answer with a letter asking you to investigate and reply by a deadline, or with an on-site inspection when the hazard looks serious. Fix the hazard, document what you did, reply on time and never retaliate against the person who complained.

This page is written for the employer side of a complaint. If you are a worker who wants to raise a hazard, you can file directly with ADOSH through the Industrial Commission of Arizona at azica.gov.

How ADOSH complaints work

A complaint is a report that a workplace has a hazard. ADOSH reviews it and decides how to respond, based on how serious the alleged hazard is.

Who can file and how

Current or former employees, their representatives and others can file a complaint. ADOSH keeps the complainant’s identity confidential, so do not try to find out who filed.

Letter inquiry vs on-site inspection

For many complaints, ADOSH sends a letter (sometimes by phone or fax) describing the alleged hazard and asking you to investigate and respond by a deadline. More serious hazards can bring an on-site inspection instead.

You received a complaint letter: what to do

Investigate the hazard named

Read the letter, find the exact hazard it describes, and look at the actual conditions. Do not guess; walk the area and talk to the people who work there.

Fix it and collect proof

Correct the hazard and document it: photos, receipts, work orders and training records. The proof is what your written reply stands on.

Reply in writing by the deadline

Respond in writing by the date on the letter, describing what you found and what you changed. A complete, on-time reply often closes the matter without a visit.

If an inspector arrives

If ADOSH inspects instead of sending a letter, the visit follows the normal steps. See what happens during an ADOSH inspection, and if a citation follows, got an ADOSH citation.

Retaliation: what employers must never do

You may not fire, demote, cut hours or otherwise act against a worker for raising a safety concern or filing a complaint. Anti-retaliation protections apply (A.R.S. 23-425).

Preventing the next complaint: audits and training

Most complaints trace back to a known gap. A periodic OSHA safety audit and current training close those gaps before someone reports them. If you are unsure whether ADOSH even applies to your site, see ADOSH vs OSHA.

FAQs

Will ADOSH tell me who filed the complaint?
No. ADOSH keeps the complainant’s identity confidential. Trying to identify them can itself become a retaliation problem.

Does every complaint lead to an inspection?
No. Many are handled by a letter inquiry, where you investigate and reply. More serious hazards are more likely to bring an on-site inspection.

How long do I have to reply to a complaint letter?
The letter states the deadline. Reply in writing by that date.

Can I be cited from a letter inquiry alone?
In general a letter asks you to investigate and respond; a citation usually follows an inspection, but do not treat a letter as optional.

ETC consultants help Arizona employers investigate, fix and document hazards.