The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced an enforcement memorandum for a short-term increase in highly focused inspections directed at hospitals and skilled nursing care facilities that treat or handle COVID-19 patients.
OSHA said its “goal is to expand its presence to ensure continued mitigation to control the spread of COVID-19 and future variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and protect the health and safety of healthcare workers at heightened risk for contracting the virus.”
OSHA said it plans to conduct inspections at “targeted high-hazard healthcare facilities” from March 9, 2022, to June 9, 2022. “Through this focused enforcement initiative, the agency will verify and assess hospital and skilled nursing care employers’ compliance actions taken, including their readiness to address any ongoing or future COVID-19 surges,” OSHA said.
This initiative supplements OSHA’s targeted enforcement under the Revised COVID-19 National Emphasis Program by focusing on previously inspected or investigated facilities. This initiative and the revised COVID-19 National Emphasis Program would comprise 15% OSHA’s enforcement activity.
