My SO works in a large retain chain in a mall which consists of two areas: the main floor with merchandise and the stockroom. For my state, OSHA requires indoor temperatures >65F, but the store has no HVAC active. The temperature of the main floor was measured to be 64F while that of the stockroom is 57F (this was done on a relatively warm day). It’s so cold some days that my SO has literally gotten frostbite.
The store manager said that the corporate and mall managers allegedly won’t do anything about it, but she doesn’t want to bother escalating it herself. I want to submit a tip to OSHA myself, but the issue is that the stockroom is so cold that the employees brought in a space heater. I’m worried that they might get in trouble if OSHA comes to inspect since it’s a somewhat cramped space with fabric that could be considered flammable. This is the only information I can find regarding this – there is zero ventilation in the store so a space heater would violate statute 1926.154(a)(2). Is this a valid concern, or what other action should we take?