Although there is no federal standard related to COVID in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been conducting COVID-19-related inspections and has frequently cited for violating certain standards, primarily the Respiratory Protection Standard and the Personal Protection Equipment standard.

On Nov. 20, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it has issued 232 citations arising from inspections for violations relating to coronavirus, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $3,148,452.

In an article posted to the Fisher Phillips Workplace Safety and Health Blog, attorney Nicholas S. Hulse warns that a guidance recently issued by the agency “makes it clear that the most commonly cited standards related to COVID-19 involve respiratory protection and personal protective equipment (PPE). Based on the data provided by OSHA, it is evident that many employers are issuing respirators to employees without the required medical evaluation and without establishing and implementing … Read more...