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New Executive Order to Protect Workers Health and Safety

On January 21, his second day in office, President Biden signed an important executive order directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue new guidance to employers on how to protect workers from COVID-19.

Under the (Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety)[https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/21/executive-order-protecting-worker-health-and-safety/], OSHA has two weeks to release guidance to employers on workplace safety during the pandemic and to determine whether any temporary emergency measures are necessary. The agency then has until March 15 to issue those emergency measures, which may include protections like mandatory mask wearing in the workplace.

In addition, the order calls for a review of OSHA’s enforcement policies with regard to COVID-19 and a process to identify what further changes could be made to protect the nation’s most at-risk communities and workers, including those employed at long-term care facilities.

Employers who fail to comply with federal workplace safety guidelines will now potentially face significant monetary fines. But because existing OSHA laws have only so much power, President Biden has also asked Congress to pass legislation that would enhance and expand the agency’s authority.

It’s in the best interest of employers across industries to keep a close watch on OSHA’s upcoming workplace safety recommendations and to stay in full compliance with these standards as they evolve.

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