Help Wanted: Safety of late-night departures
If potential for violent crime exists, a company may be subject to rules governing workplace hazards. Credit: iStock
The lighting issue falls under the category of "there ought to be a law." The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which enforces workplace safety, has standards for illumination, but they apply to construction projects or to general industry things such as emergency-exit-route lighting, said Tony Ciuffo, who heads OSHA's Long Island office.
"Unfortunately they don't fit the scenario you described regarding illumination in a parking lot/garage," Ciuffo said.
Your concern ultimately deals with a potential for a random act of criminal behavior, such as robbery, something OSHA would not typically regulate, Ciuffo said. But that potential could push the issue into the category of workplace violence, for which OSHA has rules. "OSHA does . . . address workplace violence and may pursue a general-duty clause citation," he said.
Under that general duty clause, the agency's website says, employers are required to provide a workplace that is "free from recognizable hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm." So you should contact OSHA with your concerns at 516-334-3344.
Had you applied for benefits early, say at age 62, you wouldn't have been eligible to begin collecting until the following month -- September.
For more on OSHA's workplace violence standards go to http://1.usa.gov/16El0T8; for more on age and Social Security entitlements go to http://1.usa.gov/14bQFHJ.
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