MIOSHA Withdraws Proposed COVID-19 Permanent Rules/Revises Emergency RulesThere has been a great deal of confusion over the past couple weeks regarding the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) rules related to COVID-19. As you may have seen, MIOSHA recently proposed to make these emergency rules permanent – despite the evolving guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Last week, however, Governor Whitmer and legislative leaders announced an agreement on budget negotiations and federal pandemic support funds. Within this agreement was a withdrawal of the proposal to make the current MIOSHA COVID-19 emergency rules permanent. Yesterday, MIOSHA released a revised set of emergency rules which reflect the updated order from MDHHS and guidance from the CDC. MIOSHA has removed the requirement that employers create a, “Policy prohibiting in-person work for employees to the extent that their work activities can feasibly be completed remotely.” Of significance to the home building industry, the new rules eliminate construction industry-specific requirements. The revised rules include the following:
The revised rules take immediate effect and are in place until October 14, 2021. A full copy of the new rule can be found here: COVID-19 WORKPLACE SAFETY GUIDANCE (michigan.gov) Forrest M. Wall, CAE |
