--- title: Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog | STP | Pandemic description: Pandemic | STP's blog giving insight into audit, compliance and risk issues for EHS, business and accounting. --- [![Specialty Technical Publishers](https://blog.stpub.com/hubfs/STP-logo-white-orange.png)](http://www.stpub.com/) - [My Account](http://stponline.stpub.com) - 1-800-251-0381 # Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog ## [EPA responds to coronavirus by offering compliance waivers](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces-0) Posted by [Jon Elliott](https://blog.stpub.com/author/jon-elliott) on Tue, Apr 07, 2020 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.stpub.com/hubfs/corona-4943044_1920.jpg) ](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces-0) On March 26, 2020 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a temporary enforcement policy, effective retroactively to March 13 and continuing until repealed or revised. The agency cites the overarching need for public health and safety, and anticipates that “the pandemic may affect facility operations and the availability of key staff and contractors and the ability of laboratories to timely analyze samples and provide results.” In particular, EPA references likely personnel shortages, and proliferating travel and social distancing restrictions. Accordingly, EPA’s new policy sets out conditions under which an entity can reduce or suspend its compliance activities, including monitoring and reporting, for the duration of a period during which “compliance is not reasonably practicable.” Because the new policy does not provide useful thresholds or criteria for coronavirus-induced impracticality, there’s no realistic way to anticipate its impacts. Regulated entities and their organizations have generally expressed appreciation, while environmental and other organizations that distrust the contemporary EPA have generally expressed outrage. The remainder of this note will summarize the scope and organization of the new policy, leaving the reader to judge how it may be implemented. [Read More](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces-0) 2 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces-0#comments-listing) Tags: [Coronavirus](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/coronavirus), [Protecting employees](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/protecting-employees), [Safety and Health at Work](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/safety-and-health-at-work), [Pandemic](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/pandemic) ## [Protecting employees against coronavirus at operating workplaces](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces) Posted by [Jon Elliott](https://blog.stpub.com/author/jon-elliott) on Wed, Mar 25, 2020 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.stpub.com/hubfs/connection-4884862_1280.jpg) ](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces) How can employers protect workers against coronavirus exposures? In expanding parts of the country, most employers do so by complying with applicable Shelter in Place orders. Workplaces still in operation face more complicated occupational health situations.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; directly and through its subsidiary National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)) and other occupational health agencies issue guidelines for workplace safety, which can be used in locations that are still open. (This approach is typical; I wrote about their Zika Virus guidelines [HERE](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-the-zika-virus)). In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides interpretive guidance on how to apply disabilities and anti-discrimination laws to the design and implementation of protective programs. [Read More](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.stpub.com/protecting-employees-against-coronavirus-at-operating-workplaces#comments-listing) Tags: [OSHA](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/osha), [EEOC](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/eeoc), [Coronavirus](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/coronavirus), [Protecting employees](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/protecting-employees), [CDC](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/cdc), [Safety and Health at Work](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/safety-and-health-at-work), [Pandemic](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/pandemic) [All posts](https://blog.stpub.com/all) ### Follow Me ### Subscribe by Email ### Browse by Topic Area - [Accounting & Tax ](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/accounting-tax) - [Business & Legal ](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/business-legal) - [Corporate Governance  ](https://blog.stpub.com/../?Tag=Corporate+Governance) - [Environmental ](https://blog.stpub.com/../?Tag=Environmental) - [Global ](https://blog.stpub.com/../?Tag=Global) - [Health & Safety ](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/health-safety) - [Internet ](https://blog.stpub.com/../?Tag=Internet) - [Transportation ](https://blog.stpub.com/../?Tag=Transportation) ### Browse by Tag - [Environmental (344)](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/environmental) - [Business & Legal (309)](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/business-legal) - [Environmental risks (300)](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/environmental-risks) - [Health & Safety (296)](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/health-safety) - [EPA (283)](https://blog.stpub.com/topic/epa) - [Terms & Conditions](https://stphub.stpehs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/STP-Terms-of-Use-Dec-20.pdf) - [Privacy Policy](https://stphub.stpehs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/STP-Privacy-Policy.pdf) - [License Agreement](https://stphub.stpehs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/STP-License-Agreement-Dec-20.pdf) - [Sitemap](http://stpub.com/sitemap) - [Support](http://stpub.com/support) © 2021 STP ComplianceEHS - All rights reserved