What OSHA's Increasing COVID-19 Inspections Mean for You

As the coronavirus pandemic has persisted, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has strengthened its worker health protections and increased the number of workplace inspections, resulting in an increase of citations for violating certain standards. Some of the common compliance issues are related to existing standards for recordkeeping, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection programs, and obligations under the general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. This recent publication from OSHA provides all the latest information on the frequently cited standards related to COVID-19; we encourage you to use this information to benchmark company practices and protocols throughout the pandemic. 

IPC also strongly encourages you to take note of new and emerging workplace safety standards at the state and local levels, which are taking place in the absence of OSHA-led expanded worker protections. For example, emergency temporary standards are being issued or considered in more than a dozen states including Virginia, Oregon, Michigan, and California. Please take time to become familiar with your state-specific requirements and take appropriate actions to ensure compliance and worker protections are in place. This is particularly something to keep in mind if you have multiple facilities in multiple states, potentially resulting in multiple compliance obligations. 

The health and safety of our members remains a top priority for IPC, and as always, let us know any pandemic-related issues you may be struggling with. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.