OSHA Releases National Emphasis Program Protecting High-Risk Workers

In response to President Biden's January 2021 executive order, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on March 12, 2021, targeting industries where workers are at a high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19.  In addition, the NEP includes an added focus to ensure that workers are protected from retaliation when complaining about unsafe or unhealthy conditions, or for exercising other rights protected by federal law.

The NEP increases OSHA's emphasis on COVID-19-related hazards by formalizing components for planned/programmed and follow-up inspections in workplaces where employees have a high frequency of close contact.  The NEP outlines various policies and procedures to identify and reduce or eliminate exposure to COVID-19 through inspection targeting, outreach, and compliance assistance.  Specifically, OSHA has set a goal that each regional office devote 5% of