OSHA's Top COVID-19 Citations

In November 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a list of the most-cited standards from the agency's COVID-19-related inspections.

OSHA published this list to increase awareness of the hazards associated with these citations, helping employers make sure that they're adequately protecting workers.

As of November 2020, these were the most commonly cited standards in COVID-19-related inspection:

• 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection
• Subpart 1904 – Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
• 1910.132 – Personal Protective Equipment
• 5(a)(1) – General Duty Clause

The basic problems noted by the agency include:

• Failing to provide medical evaluation before use of respirator.
• Failing to administer appropriate fit testing for workers using tight-fitting respirators.
• Failing to establish, implement and update respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures.
• Failing to provide sufficient training on respiratory protection and other PPE use.
• Failing to provide NIOSH-certified respirators.
• Failing to store respirators and other PPE properly in a way that protects them from damage and contamination.
• Failing to report fatalities to OSHA within eight hours, and failing to keep required records of work-related illnesses, injuries and fatalities.
• Failing to assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present that require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Find more resources on those topics here:

• Selecting and Using Particulate Respirators
• Starting a Respiratory Protection Program
• Respirator Fit Testing Information
• Quantitative Fit Testing and Qualitative Fit Testing
• Assessing Worker Risk of COVID-19 Exposure with OSHA's Risk Levels
• OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements

"Common COVID-19 Citations" from OSHA includes detailed descriptions of violations, educational resources and related information.

The information contained in this article is intended for general information purposes only and is based on information available as of the initial date of publication. No representation is made that the information or references are complete or remain current. This article is not a substitute for review of current applicable government regulations, industry standards, or other standards specific to your business and/or activities and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion. Readers with specific questions should refer to the applicable standards or consult with an attorney.