April 19, 2020
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an enforcement memorandum instructing its inspectors to use discretion in enforcing injury and illness recordkeeping requirements for cases of COVID-19. The use of enforcement discretion does not apply to corrections, emergency services, healthcare, and law enforcement employers.
OSHA said employers should focus their efforts on establishing and maintaining good hygiene practices.
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus first identified in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019.
The agency acknowledged that some employers may have difficulty determining whether employees have contracted COVID-19 due to exposures at work.
Employers must record an illness in their Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA Form 300) if an employee has a confirmed illness that is work-related that results in death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another