OSHA announces COVID-19 enforcement statistics

On October 23, 2020, OSHA announced it had cited 112 establishments for violations relating to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) that resulted in proposed penalties totaling $1,603,544 since the start of the pandemic through October 15, 2020, according to a news release from OSHA.

OSHA had already announced citations relating to 85 establishments. In addition to those establishments, 27 establishments have received coronavirus-related citations totaling $381,388 from October 9, 2020, to October 15, 2020. OSHA inspections have resulted in the agency citing employers for violations, including failures to:

• Implement a written respiratory protection program;
• Provide a medical evaluation, respirator fit test, training on the proper use of a respirator, and personal protective equipment;
• Report an injury, illness, or fatality;
• Record an injury or illness on OSHA recordkeeping forms; and
• Comply with the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

OSHA has also published Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 and Guidance on Returning to Work to assist employers in reopening workplaces and help employees resume operations during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For more information about Coronavirus from OSHA, visit www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/.

OSHA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that is dedicated to keeping the American workforce safe and healthy. OSHA helps ensure these conditions for America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information about OSHA, visit www.osha.gov.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that spreads from person to person. As of October 27, 2020, there are approximately 43.6 million global cases and 1.1 million global deaths, while the United States leads the world with approximately 8.7 million cases and 225,000 deaths, according to research from Johns Hopkins University.

Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) – a leading global provider of background checks – uses best practices during the Coronavirus crisis, has released a whitepaper about background checks in the age of Coronavirus, and posts blogs about COVID-19 news. For more information about ESR, visit www.esrcheck.com.