Texas workers have a right to expect that their employers will provide a safe workplace. While many jobs include some risk of injury, it is incumbent upon every employer to take all steps necessary to ensure the safety and well being of the Texas workforce.

You may have heard about the Entergy v. Summers (“Entergy”) Texas Supreme Court case in the news in the last several years. Simply put, this 2007 decision puts workers across the state in danger by eliminating key accountability protections. To learn more about the impact of this harmful decision, check out Texas’s Watch’s Entergy Fact Sheet.

On this Workplace Safety Tips page, we have compiled a number of important and key resources for those affected by this issue.

• To report an unsafe or unhealthy work environment with the Texas Department of Insurance, call their toll-free Safety Violations Hotline at 1-800-452-9595, or go online to for detailed information about the hotline.

• To file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about workplace safety and health hazards, please see the How to File a Complaint with OSHA page on their website. You can file a complaint online, fax or mail in the complaint form, or call your local OSHA Regional Office. Texas’ Regional Office is located in Dallas and can be reached at (972) 850-4145.

Note: If there is an emergency, fatality, or imminent life-threatening situation, OSHA recommends that you call their emergency number immediately at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).

• If you are having a problem with workers’ compensation insurance, you need to contact the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the state agency that oversees workers’ compensation. TDI’s Division of Workers’ Compensation website contains extensive information about workers compensation and related issues, or you can call their Customer Service/Injured Employee hotline at 1-800-252-7031 or their main number at 1-800-372-7713. Their Employee/Injured Worker Resource page contains links to a wide variety of available resources, and the Dispute Resolution page provides detailed information on the dispute process.
• The Office of Injured Employee Council (OEIC) is “a state agency created by the Texas Legislature to represent the interests of injured employees in the workers’ compensation system.” OEIC can provide an Ombudsman free of charge to assist you in resolving a dispute with a workers’ compensation insurer. Call 1-866-393-6432, or visit their Injured Employee Home Page.
• To make a formal complaint about a workers’ compensation insurance company, you can call TDI’s Consumer Helpline at 1-800-252-3439 or download an insurance complaint form.
• The US Department of Labor also has information online about workplace safety and health.
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is “the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.” Visit their website to view a surfeit of research, publications and reports on a large variety of workplace health and safety topics. NIOSH also has Worker Notification Program to notify workers about the findings of their research studies.
• The AFL-CIO has a Safety and Health at Work page on their website that offers information on worker safety. If you’d like to contact the Texas AFL-CIO, you can reach their state office in Austin at 512-477-6195.