On March 12, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rolled out a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NEPs are tools utilized by the Agency, on a temporary basis, to address certain hazards in high-risk industries.
The new NEP has been launched in response to President Biden’s recent Executive Order directing the Agency to, among other things, come up with a national program to focus on COVID-19 enforcement. Its goal is “to significantly reduce or eliminate worker exposures to [COVID-19] by targeting industries and worksites where employees may have a high frequency of close contact exposures and therefore, controlling the health hazards associated with such exposures.”
Our legal advisory partner, Sherman & Howard, issued a clear and concise advisory outlining the new National Emphasis Program.
If you are an ASSUREDComplianceSM partner, our team has already implemented an Exposure Control Plan addressing COVID-19, customized for your work environment. If you are not an ASSUREDCompliance partner or EHS Support client, you will want to take actions to make sure you are in compliance with the NEP issued by OSHA.
If you do not have a safety program in place, contact us to learn more about how you can keep your employees safe through COVID-19 and beyond.
