Wed, 03/17/2021
On March 12, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) launched a COVID-19 workplace safety initiative, aimed at protecting workers who are at high-risk of contracting COVID-19. The initiative comes after President Biden signed an executive order in January 2021 ensuring the health and safety of workers. OSHA will conduct new investigations and follow-ups to 2020 investigations on work sites to make sure that hazardous conditions are corrected. The Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for COVID-19 is available at https://www.osha.gov/memos/2021-03-12/updated-interim-enforcement-response-plan-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19.
OSHA’s initiative will focus on companies that employ a large number of high-risk employees. The OSHA initiative will include hospitals, assisted living centers, nursing homes, and other health care and emergency response providers. Workplaces that have high numbers of recorded COVID-19 complaints or cases will receive heightened scrutiny from OSHA including, correctional facilities, meat packing plants, and grocery stores.
OSHA hopes to protect workers who raise concerns about their employer’s failure to protect them against COVID-19. OSHA will distribute anti-retaliation information to workers during their inspections and promptly refer any cases of retaliation to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Whistleblower Protection Program. OSHA’s initiative will remain in effect for up to one year, with an extension dependent on the pandemic.
MSE provides legal assistance to workers who experience retaliation for reporting safety violations or participating in a government investigation. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus
