OSHA Coronavirus Violations Top $2 Million in Fines
OSHA cited 144 workplaces for COVID-19 violations totaling over $2 million in penalties as of October 2020, with fines climbing fast each month.
As of October 30, 2020, OSHA had cited 144 workplaces for violations relating to COVID-19, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $2,025,431. This is up from just $484,069 in coronavirus-related violations reported by the U.S. Department of Labor on October 2, 2020.
Per the OSHA National News Release, inspections resulted in the agency citing employers for violations, including failures to:
- Implement a written respiratory protection program
- Provide a medical evaluation, respirator fit test, and 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
- Comply with the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
If your organization has not implemented COVID-19 policies that follow OSHA guidelines, you may be at risk for unnecessary fines. CRC offers occupational health services such as respirator fit tests and saliva-based COVID-19 tests. Contact CRC's sales team for information and pricing.
This post reflects OSHA enforcement data as reported at the time of original publication in November 2020.
