On Friday, November 13, the United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration (“OSHA”) issued a news release on its recent enforcement activities for violations that are related to the coronavirus pandemic. More specifically, OSHA stated that it has issued 204 citations arising from inspections for COVID-19 violations and that this has resulted in proposed penalties that total roughly $2.8 million.
OSHA, which is charged with ensuring the health and safety of the work environment for employees and others, also issued a guidance and accompanying one-pager on November 6 on the standards that employers should pay particularly close attention to in an effort to avoid the risk of the virus spreading in their facilities and offices. In a news alert on the guidance, OSHA cited the following COVID-19 standards as the most frequently cited during coronavirus-related inspections: Personal Protective Equipment; Respiratory Protection; Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; and General Duty Clause.
Resources for employers are also available on OSHA’s COVID-19 webpage.
Norton Rose Fulbright attorneys will continue to provide relevant updates for healthcare employers related to the coronavirus pandemic on the Health Law Pulse.