The Department of Labor Issues New COVID-19 Worker Safety Guidance

On January 29, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), released new guidance aimed at protecting workers from exposure to COVID-19.

The new workplace safety guidance is the first implemented by the Biden Administration and aims to help employers implement a coronavirus prevention program. OHSA’s new guidance recommends this prevention program include the following 16 elements:

Assignment of a workplace coordinator to deal with COVID-19 issues.
Conduct a COVID-19 exposure hazard assessment.
Identify measures that will limit the spread in the workplace.
Consider protections for high-risk workers or those with a severe illness, by offering supportive policies, practices, and reasonable modifications to the work environment.