By HFT Staff

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is extending its Revised National Emphasis Program for COVID-19 until further notice. The program focuses enforcement efforts on companies that put the largest number of workers at serious risk of contracting the coronavirus, and on employers who engage in retaliation against workers who complain about unsafe or unhealthful conditions or exercise other rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. 

OSHA is also temporarily increasing the coronavirus inspection goal from 5 percent of inspections to 10 percent while it works to finalize a permanent coronavirus health care standard. The program was set to expire July 7, 2022. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported increasing coronavirus hospitalization rates nationwide since mid-April, and data forecasts that hospitalizations may increase significantly in the coming weeks. This increase in hospitalizations reinforces the need for OSHA to continue prioritizing inspections at workplaces with a higher potential for coronavirus exposures, such as hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and other healthcare and emergency response providers treating patients with coronavirus.   

The National Emphasis Program will also continue to cover non-healthcare industries, such as meat and poultry processing.