Briefly… COVID-19: Increased Worksite Complaints and Reduced OSHA Inspections Leave U.S. Workers’ Safety at Increased Risk
Summary
The one-page "Briefly" highlights of a U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General audit, dated February 25, 2021, on increased worksite complaints and reduced OSHA inspections during COVID-19. It states the OIG's finding that OSHA took actions and issued guidance but that increased complaints, reduced inspections and mostly remote inspections subject employees to greater safety risk. It reports that OSHA received 15 percent more complaints in 2020 than in a similar period in 2019 but performed 50 percent fewer inspections, and compares 295 violations issued for 176 COVID-19 related inspections with 1,679 violations for 756 inspections.
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U.S. Department of Labor WHAT OIG FOUND
Office of Inspector General
Audit OSHA has taken a series of actions to address
its challenges and has issued guidance in
response to the pandemic. However, increased
complaints, reduced inspections, and most
BRIEFLY… inspections not being conducted onsite subject
employees to greater safety risk.
Since the start of the pandemic, OSHA has
received a sudden influx of complaints, and as
COVID-19: INCREASED WORKSITE
a means of reducing person-to-person contact,
COMPLAINTS AND REDUCED OSHA
has reduced the number of its inspections,
INSPECTIONS LEAVE U.S. WORKERS’
particularly onsite inspections. Compared to a
SAFETY AT INCREASED RISK
similar period in 2019, OSHA received
15 percent more complaints in 2020, but
February 25, 2021
performed 50 percent fewer inspections. As a
result, there is an increased risk that OSHA is
WHY OIG CONDUCTED THE AUDIT
not providing the level of protection that workers
need at various job sites. During the pandemic,
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised specific
OSHA issued 295 violations for 176 COVID-19
concerns about the health and safety of
related inspections, while 1,679 violations for
workers and the measures OSHA has taken to
756 COVID-19 related inspections were issued
ensure employers are mitigating employees’
risk of exposure to the virus at workplaces. under State Plans.
With most OSHA inspections done remotely
Due to the pandemic, OSHA has received a
during the pandemic, workplace hazards may
surge of complaints in a matter of months, while
go unidentified and unabated longer, leaving
garnering the attention of Congress, labor
unions, and media with requests to act swiftly employees vulnerable. OSHA’s onsite presence
during inspections has historically resulted in
on behalf of the 130 million workers at more
timely mitigation efforts for at least a portion of
than 8 million worksites nationwide whom
the hazards identified. Specifically, a 2017 OIG
OSHA is responsible for protecting.
report noted that for approximately one third of
OSHA-issued citations reviewed, employers
WHAT OIG DID
abated the hazard during the inspection or
within 24 hours of OSHA identifying the hazard.
We conducted this audit to answer the following
question:
While OSHA has issued several guidance
documents to enhance safety provisions during
What plans and guidance has OSHA
developed to address challenges created by the pandemic, guidance is not enforceable like
rules or standards would be, and OSHA has not
COVID-19, and to what extent have these
issued an emergency temporary standard
challenges affected OSHA’s ability to protect
during the pandemic for airborne infectious
the safety of workers and its workforce?
diseases that may better protect employees’
health and safety at worksites.
To answer this question, we reviewed
guidance, public laws, and state standards;
conducted interviews; and researched WHAT OIG RECOMMENDED
complaint and enforcement data.
We made recommendations to OSHA regarding
onsite inspection strategies, remote inspection
READ THE FULL REPORT
http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/2021/1 guidance, and an emergency temporary standard
for infectious diseases. OSHA agreed with all our
9-21-003-10-105.pdf
recommendations.
File and source
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- 19-21-003-10-105b.pdf
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- SHA-256
- 72f140bf5d704dda30d28cc3c204b727f28892650fa9a6572cfa623c19050cfb
- Our copy
- 19-21-003-10-105b.pdf
- Original
- www.oig.dol.gov