Worker Deaths, Illnesses Drive Health-Care Virus Inspections

Senior Counsel Gina Fonte was cited in a Bloomberg Law story discussing the uptick in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections and how businesses can defend themselves against citations. Because no coronavirus-specific rule currently exists, the agency has been issuing citations under the general duty clause, which requires employers to provide workplaces that are free of known and potentially serious hazards that can be feasibly mitigated. Ms. Fonte said if a business receives a citation, its best defense is demonstrating a "good faith effort" to comply with OSHA guidance and other federal guidelines, such as showing that it installed partitions in the workplace and provided protective equipment to employees.

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