The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week issued an updated guidance memo relative to reporting of COVID-19 cases.
The agency said COVID-19 can be a “recordable illness” if the worker infection was “as a result of performing their work-related duties,” if the following apply: The case is a confirmed case of COVID-19, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the case is work-related as defined by law; and the case involves one or more of the general recording criteria set forth by law.
The agency also noted that it is exercising “enforcement discretion” relative to the situation, a reference made more than once in the updated guidance.
“Recording a COVID-19 illness does not, of itself, mean that the employer has violated any OSHA standard,” the agency stated. The updated guidance is sparking concern within the meat industry about the impact it could have, but it is not clear what specific impacts to things like insurance.
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