OSHA has issued its final rule implementing procedures governing whistleblower complaints under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the latest in a series of such measures. The rule is intended to implement section 402 of the law, which protects employees who disclose information about a possible violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act from retaliation by employers that manufacture, process, pack, transport, distribute, receive, hold or import food, according to OSHA. “Food industry workers must never be silenced by the threat of losing their jobs when their safety or the safety of the public is at stake,” OSHA chief David Michaels said in a statement. “This rule underscores the agency’s commitment to protect the rights of workers who report illegal activity in their workplace,” he said.
