Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog

On May 1. 2023, the US federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to focus inspection and enforcement resources on “Falls” in order to “identify and to reduce hazards which are causing or likely to cause serious injuries and fatalities from falls while working at heights,” which OSHA identifies as “the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in all industries.” The remainder of this note summarizes the NEP, and OSHA’s general regulatory approaches to fall hazards and fall protection.

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Many of President Biden’s immediate priorities relate to the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include worker protection measures, which generally fall within the purview of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Executive Order (EO) 13999 of January 21, 2021 (Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety) directs OSHA to rapidly enhance COVID-19 protection activities. The EO directed OSHA to update worker protection guidance to employers within two weeks, which OSHA met by publishing “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace,” which I discussed HERE.

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