Take a look at the refuse to work advise from OSHA, there is a proccess... Things can get wishy washy...
http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/refuse.html And before you lodge a formal complaint, make sure it is the right thing to do...
Refusing to do a job because of potentially unsafe workplace conditions is not ordinarily an employee right under the OSH Act. (Your union contract or state law may, however, give you this right, but OSHA cannot enforce it.) Refusing to work may result in disciplinary action by the employer. However, employees do have the right to refuse to do a job if they believe in good faith that they are exposed to an imminent danger. "Good faith" means that even if an imminent danger is not found to exist, the worker had reasonable grounds to believe that it did exist.
If your boss told to stay home, thats a boo-boo, on his part. Hes lining himself up... He may not be bright enough to know that.
40' over what? A sheet-rocked non-structural lid? I would call it a risk of life +/or limb.
Personal opinion... Talk to the owner about it, and discuss the options.
- Life lines for a harness
- More planking, and anchors for a harness
- Cat walk might be pushing it...
- Work on the ground for the project...
Nothing on those, maybe go for the complaint.
Either way I would be looking for other work, this guy is high risk. And small town USA, word has a tendancy to be 'sneezed' in a refferance call- "OSHA" - 'Bless you'
Myself - I don't do things that will kill me, and don't expect anyone else to. I have walked off jobs before, and if asked to do other stupid things, I will again.
