OSHA officially received an extension on developing a COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) back in March, and the Department of Labor’s new boss is taking full advantage of the extra time.
President Joe Biden gave OSHA until March 15 to come up with an ETS addressing the coronavirus, but gave the agency more time when that deadline came and went without a draft of the standard.
Now Marty Walsh, the new Secretary of Labor, issued a statement saying he has “reviewed the materials and determined that they should be updated to reflect the latest scientific analysis of the state of the disease,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Walsh ordered a “rapid update” based on the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data and information on vaccinations and COVID-19 variants present in the U.S.
“He believes this is the best way to proceed,” the Wall Street Journal states.
Meanwhile, OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on COVID-19, which aims to increase inspections, is still in effect.
