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<\/div>\nThe U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) did not adequately protect workers from COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic. We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online<\/em> and other media outlets.<\/p>\n Citations Often Not Issued<\/p>\n The Oct. 31 report found that OSHA did not issue citations to enforce the standard for recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses in 15 percent of sampled fatality inspections and did not have complete information on COVID-19 infection rates at worksites.<\/p>\n (Business Insurance<\/a>)<\/p>\n Inspections Closed Too Soon<\/p>\n The OIG also found that OSHA closed inspections without ensuring it had reviewed all items the agency had requested from employers to prove they had mitigated alleged COVID-19 health hazards. The OIG previously had noted a significant reduction in OSHA inspections during the pandemic, even as complaints spiked.<\/p>\n (McKnight’s Senior Living<\/a>)<\/p>\n Recommended Steps<\/p>\n The OIG recommended that OSHA:<\/p>\n (EHS Daily Advisor<\/a>)<\/p>\n Few Inspectors <\/p>\n The report didn’t mention meatpacking plants, but much of the criticism of OSHA’s handling of the pandemic revolved around those facilities. At the pandemic’s outset, the agency had the fewest number of inspectors in decades. Meanwhile, the number of workplaces it had to review had increased.<\/p>\n\n