OSHA and a COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard

The Executive Order issued on January 21, 2021 by President Biden, titled “Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety”, is to set in motion certain items “…to protect the health and safety of workers from COVID-19.” (The Executive Order can be viewed here.) Within the two and one-half pages of the Order, the three primary points are:

1. OSHA is to issue within two weeks of the Order (by February 04) “…revised guidance to employers on workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
2. OSHA is to “…consider whether any emergency temporary standards on COVID-19, including with respect to masks in the workplace, are necessary, and if such standards are determined to be necessary, issue them by March 15, 2021”.
3. OSHA is to “…launch a national program to focus OSHA enforcement efforts related to COVID-19 on violations that put the largest number of workers at serious risk or are contrary to anti-retaliation principles”.

The revised guidance from OSHA was issued (Read more…)