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ARTICLE · 22 MARCH 2021

OSHA Implements COVID-19 National Emphasis Program

Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren SC
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On January 21, 2021, President Biden ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consider whether emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 were necessary and, if so

United StatesEmployment and HR
Troy Giles
Troy Giles
Brittany Naleid
Brittany Naleid
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On January 21, 2021, President Biden ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consider whether emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 were necessary and, if so, to issue those standards by March 15, 2021. Days before that deadline, OSHA announced the implementation of a national emphasis program (NEP) focused on increasing OSHA's enforcement efforts related to COVID-19. OSHA's Direction on the NEP states that the enforcement efforts will place emphasis on: (1) hazardous conditions that put the largest number of workers at risk; and (2) employers that engage in retaliatory actions against employees who report potential violations of OSHA regulations relating to COVID-19.

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