OSHA is ramping up its issuance of sector-specific guidelines for how a host of businesses including dentists, food and beverage providers, meatpacking plants and others can tackle workplace risks of COVID-19, though agency critics continue to push for binding emergency standards they say would better help reduce those risks.
OSHA is ramping up its issuance of sector-specific guidelines for how a host of businesses including dentists, food and beverage providers, meatpacking plants and others can tackle workplace risks of COVID-19, though agency critics continue to push for binding emergency standards they say would better help reduce those risks.
The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has had to pause “several” open investigations into industrial incidents due to concerns over potential COVID-19 exposures and a lack of investigators, though top officials say they are seeking to hire new investigators.
Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia is rejecting the AFL-CIO’s criticism that OSHA is “missing in action” on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic because it has not issued an emergency temporary standard to protect health care workers and several other measures, with Scalia defending a host of voluntary OSHA responses to the crisis.
Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia is rejecting the AFL-CIO’s criticism that OSHA is “missing in action” on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic because it has not issued an emergency temporary standard to protect health care workers and several other measures, with Scalia defending a host of voluntary OSHA responses to the crisis.
President Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) using the Defense Production Act to keep meat and poultry processors operating to maintain food supplies during the coronavirus pandemic is prompting legal and political pressure to enforce OSHA’s voluntary guidelines for protecting workers at the facilities who are at high risk of exposure.
President Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) using the Defense Production Act to keep meat and poultry processors operating to maintain food supplies during the coronavirus pandemic is prompting legal and political pressure to enforce OSHA’s voluntary guidelines for protecting workers at the facilities who are at high risk of exposure.
EPA is moving ahead with a planned peer review of its just-released draft evaluation of the common solvent perclorothylene (perc or PCE), which finds multiple uses that present unreasonable risk to workers, consumers and the environment, though it is unclear if advisors will have a quorum to be available to review it.
OSHA has issued guidance for how meatpacking facilities -- a major new source of coronavirus infections -- can help protect workers from exposure, including screening employees and using social distancing in the workplace, but critics say the guide is just the latest non-binding advice the administration is providing in lieu of necessary rules.
OSHA has issued guidance for how meatpacking facilities -- a major new source of coronavirus infections -- can help protect workers from exposure, including screening employees and using social distancing in the workplace, but critics say the guide is just the latest non-binding advice the administration is providing in lieu of necessary rules.