02/15/2021
A Minute About COVID-19 and Safety Guidance Document
A Minute About COVID-19 and Safety Guidance Document
Article provided by Gary Auman of Auman, Mahan & Furry
As I am sure we all suspected, the new administration has taken an accelerated and aggressive approach with regards to safety in the workplace. On January 21, 2021 President Biden issued an “Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety.” In this Executive Order, the President stated that it is the policy of his administration to ensure the health and safety of workers as a national priority and a moral imperative. He further stated that the federal government must move quickly to reduce the risk that workers may contract COVID – 19 in the workplace. In Section 2 of the Executive Order, he stated that the Assistant Secretary of Labor shall issue, within 2 weeks of the date of the Executive Order, revised guidance to employers on workplace safety during the COVID – 19 pandemic. He also required that the Assistant Secretary of Labor consider whether any emergency temporary standards on COVID – 19 are necessary, and if it is determined that such standards are necessary, they shall be issued by March 15, 2021.