On Friday, Apr. 17, ASA, along with the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC), sent a letter to OSHA requesting guidance from the Agency regarding the COVID-19 outbreak. In the letter, we thanked OSHA for their recent enforcement memoranda regarding the use of respiratory protection during the COVID-19 outbreak and COVID-19 recordability under 29 C.F.R. Part 1904. In addition, we appreciated OSHA’s recent publication of its Interim Enforcement Response Plan (“Interim Enforcement Program”).

Per the letter, “collectively, this guidance has been very helpful to construction contractors.”  Additionally, CISC offered OSHA their Construction Industry COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan (“Response Plan”) that could be adapted by contractors to protect their employees. It provides a program structure, key protective measures to consider, cleaning and disinfecting procedures, and other useful information, including a COVID-19 “Toolbox Talk.” The CISC intends to issue an updated plan to account for some of the recent public health guidance to controlling the virus. 

Finally, the letter stated that as the CISC, OSHA, and the public health community continue to collectively address the outbreak, our contractor members are interested in receiving additional guidance from OSHA and, in particular, as it relates to construction.