The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) announced citations of nine employers for allegedly failing to protect their employees from exposure to COVID-19.
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The nine employers cited with serious violations include:
- Minority Auto Handling Specialists, Inc., of Woodhaven, Michigan, was fined $3,000 for violations such as a lack of adequate training regarding the COVID-19 risks, actions like site-specific measures to protect employees, and how employees can protect themselves; failure to routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces; failure to provide paper towels for workers and visitors to wash their hands; and not maintaining supplies of hand sanitizer.
- Bayside Hospitality Inc. of East Tawas, Michigan, doing business as Tawas Bay Beach Resort, was fined $1,500 for violations including a lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19, assuming and not asking if patrons not wearing a mask were not medically able to tolerate a mask, and not keeping everyone on the premises 6 feet from one another.
- Value City Furniture of Flint, Michigan, was fined $1,500 for violations including the lack of a preparedness and response plan, failure to conduct a daily self-screening protocol for all employees or contractors entering the workplace, not keeping everyone on the worksite premises at least 6 feet from one another, not requiring face coverings when social distancing could not be maintained, not training employees on the steps they must take to notify the employer of any symptoms of COVID-19 or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, not maintaining records of required COVID-19 training and daily health screenings, not posting signs at store entrances for customers, and assuming customers not wearing mask had a medical condition.
- United States Lighting of Fenton, Michigan, doing business as U B Tan, was fined $400 for violations including a lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19, not conducting daily self-screening protocols for COVID-19, and not posting signs informing customers not to enter if they are or recently have been sick.
- Lane Automotive of Watervliet, Michigan, was fined $3,500 for violations including the lack of face coverings when employees were within 6 feet of each other, allowing barriers to be removed in break rooms so employees could sit next to each other, and not avoiding large meetings.
- Red River Restaurant Group of Caledonia, Michigan, doing business as FireRock Grille, was fined $6,300 for violations including the lack of face coverings worn by customers, not closing waiting areas while customers were waiting for tables, and not avoiding large gatherings.
- Andersons Service Center of Midland, Michigan, was fined $400 for violations including the lack of a preparedness and response plan, no training, not providing face coverings, a lack of postings and posters, no designated worksite supervisor, no increase in facility cleaning, a lack of cleaning supplies, and failing to conduct the daily health screening using a questionnaire.
- Jerry’s Tire of Lake Odessa, Michigan, was fined $3,500 for violations including the lack of training for employees on the infectious disease preparedness and response plan; no postings on cough and sneeze etiquette, hand hygiene, or employees’ needing to stay home if sick; not conducting daily in-person or virtual health checks or having employees self-monitor; no face coverings when employees were within 6 feet of each other; and not routinely cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- River City Reproductions and Graphics of Kentwood, Michigan, was fined $2,100 for violations including the lack of a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, a lack of employee training on policies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, not conducting self-screenings for employees, and not enforcing face coverings and social distancing.
Michigan is one of four states with an emergency temporary standard (ETS) for COVID-19. The other three are California, Oregon, and Virginia. There is no federal standard, but any or all of the state standards could provide a model for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials in the new Biden administration. Former OSHA administrator Dr. David Michaels is a member of President-Elect Joseph Biden’s COVID-19 advisory panel.
Since adopting the COVID-19 ETS, Michigan has established special emphasis enforcement programs for construction, manufacturing, offices, and retail.