b'Garys Cornerupdate19NOW AND NEXTCOVID-Gary Auman, MRCA Legal CounselW hile we continue to hearin the workplace. While the Coronavirus (COVID-19) about the coronavirus everyhas taken over the lions share of attention when it day, even on weekends,comes to safety and health, DO NOT disregard ANY it is important that we distill downother aspects of your companys safety and health themyriadofinformationintoaprogram in order to focus ALL of your attention on useable form. I would like to take thisthe current emergency. You still need to train your opportunity to discuss the current COVID-19 situationemployees, perform your safety orientations, do your from a safety/OSHA compliance standpoint, and howtoolbox talks and daily safety training and audits, it will affect employers as we work to get the economyand enforce ALL of your safety rules. Having said restarted. So, I am going to look into my crystal ballthat, the remainder of this article will consider what for part of the article and try to be as accurate as Ineeds to be accomplished by you to address the can be with regards to the future. As an employercoronavirus/COVID-19.you have two goals in the current situation. First, toNOWprovide your employees with a safe place to work by eliminating or minimizing as much as possible theirWhen this virus first appeared, OSHA announced potential exposure to COVID-19. Second, you needthat it would ensure the protection of employees by comply with OSHA guidance and recommendationsapplying the General Duty Clause or Section 5(a)(1) (we do not have any OSHA requirements at thisof the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 time), which are also geared towards protecting your(the Act) as its enforcement/compliance tool. That employees, but perhaps not as completely as youmeans that OSHA has concluded that COVID-19 is a would desire. recognized hazard that is causing, or likely to cause, But, before we get into safety and health in regardsdeath or serious physical harm to employees. In my to the coronavirus, I want to remind everyone thatopinion, this decision by OSHA is one of the few by the agency that accurately applies the General Duty you cannot focus so much on the coronavirus thatClause as intended when it was promulgated as part you relax your training and enforcement of all ofof the Act. While I feel that this is an appropriate the safety and health standards that affect yourapplication (unless you have a great idea of how to employees on an everyday basis. OSHA continuesprove COVID-19 is not a recognized hazard in light to function regarding ALL safety and health issuesof all the media and governmental regulation) it does 8 www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer'