OSHA has issued employers $3.4M of COVID-19 fines

Since the start of the pandemic through Nov. 26, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it has issued $3.4 million in penalties from citations arising from 255 inspections of workplaces charged with violations, according to a statement issued Friday.

 

Eleven of the most recent citations, issued between Nov. 20 and Nov. 26 and made public Friday, have resulted in coronavirus-related fines totaling $101,207, according to the statement. All 11 employers cited are either health care facilities or senior care living facilities, with recent fines up to $25,061, according to data released by OSHA.

 

Overall, COVID-19-related OSHA inspections have resulted in the agency citing employers for violations, including failures to implement a written respiratory protection program; failures to provide a medical evaluation, respirator fit test, and training on the proper use of a respirator and personal protective equipment; failures to report an injury, illness or fatality, including failures to record such on recordkeeping forms; and failing to comply with the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which requires employers to maintain a safe workplace, according to the statement.

 

More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here.