President Joe Biden ordered OSHA to issue new COVID-19 guidance, while considering a national emergency temporary standard that could provide a scorecard for workplace infections.
The directive could lead to standardizing the reporting and tracking of people exposed to the virus in the workplace. A national emergency temporary standard (ETS) would be enforceable by OSHA and give contractors a single checklist for COVID-19 compliance.
To date, COVID-19 workplace practices are governed by a patchwork of state, local, and federal rules. Some states have issued ETS for COVID-19, but there is no single set of rules across industries.
Some contractors say the hodgepodge of rules, with a lack of clarity about which ones apply to which jobsites, has hurt productivity and raised costs.
Related Stories
Legislation | Aug 10, 2016
Calif. bill would speed up environmental lawsuits on certain projects
A nine-month limit has been proposed for some $100 million-plus projects.
Resiliency | Aug 10, 2016
White House pushes for better finance strategies for disaster mitigation and resilience
The move highlights innovative insurance, mortgage, tax, and finance-based strategies.
Regulations | Aug 9, 2016
New trend eases parking requirements for U.S. cities
Transit-oriented development and affordable housing are spurring the movement.
Regulations | Aug 8, 2016
EPA toughens rules to reduce formaldehyde exposure from composite wood products
Products will now have to be labeled as compliant to the new rules.
Regulations | Aug 5, 2016
Stop-work orders in New York City up sharply this year
The orders come after a rise in the number of deadly accidents that have occurred in the past few years.
Sustainability | Aug 4, 2016
S.F. Bay Area voters approve first-of-its-kind tax to fight impact of climate change
The funds from the tax will be used to restore wetlands
Concrete | Aug 2, 2016
Concrete Association builds case against cross-laminated timber
The campaign asserts that not enough is known about CLT in construction
Seismic Design | Jul 28, 2016
Risk of man-made earthquakes now factor in seismic hazard analysis
Significant risk increases seen in some areas of the U.S.
Resiliency | Jul 27, 2016
New York’s resilience plans not taking long-term view, critics charge
Continued waterfront development may be regretted later this century.
Green Specifications | Jul 26, 2016
New Miami Beach law requires LEED certification on projects larger than 7,000 sf
LEED Silver the prescribed standard on buildings larger than 50,000 sf.