Biden signs OSHA workplace executive order

President Joe Biden signed an executive order requiring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue revised guidance and possibly emergency temporary workplace standards pertaining to COVID-19. 

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) reported that there are no new immediate requirements for its members but plans to closely watch for changes.

The order contains the following directives requiring OSHA to:

• Issue guidance to employers on protecting workers from COVID-19 within two weeks.
• Evaluate whether any emergency temporary workplace standards are needed and gives the agency until March 15 to issue these standards.
• Review its enforcement efforts related to COVID-19 and requires the agency to identify what changes could be made to protect workers. 
• Launch a national program to focus OSHA enforcement efforts related to COVID-19 on violations that put the largest number of workers at serious risk or are contrary to anti-retaliation principles.
• Coordinate with states that have OSHA-approved occupational safety and health plans to ensure that workers covered by such plans are adequately protected from COVID-19, consistent with any revised guidance or emergency temporary standards issued by OSHA. 

NLBMDA said that it is closely monitoring OSHA’s regulatory activity on COVID-19 and will be sure to keep members updated on the latest developments. NLBMDA will immediately engage the Biden administration should any new workplace rules be proposed in the coming weeks.

Here is Biden’s new executive order regarding "Protecting Worker Health and Safety."