Protecting Worker Health and Safety

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 26, 2021)]

[Presidential Documents]

[Pages 7211-7213]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2021-01863]

[[Page 7209]]

Vol. 86

Tuesday,

No. 15

January 26, 2021

Part III

The President

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Executive Order 13999--Protecting Worker Health and Safety

Executive Order 14000--Supporting the Reopening and Continuing

Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers

Executive Order 14001--A Sustainable Public Health Supply Chain

Memorandum of January 20, 2021--Modernizing Regulatory Review

Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 /

Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--

The President

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Executive Order 13999 of January 21, 2021

Protecting Worker Health and Safety

By the authority vested in me as President by the

Constitution and the laws of the United States of

America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Ensuring the health and safety of

workers is a national priority and a moral imperative.

Healthcare workers and other essential workers, many of

whom are people of color and immigrants, have put their

lives on the line during the coronavirus disease 2019

(COVID-19) pandemic. It is the policy of my

Administration to protect the health and safety of

workers from COVID-19.

al imperative.

Healthcare workers and other essential workers, many of

whom are people of color and immigrants, have put their

lives on the line during the coronavirus disease 2019

(COVID-19) pandemic. It is the policy of my

Administration to protect the health and safety of

workers from COVID-19.

The Federal Government must take swift action to reduce

the risk that workers may contract COVID-19 in the

workplace. That will require issuing science-based

guidance to help keep workers safe from COVID-19

exposure, including with respect to mask-wearing;

partnering with State and local governments to better

protect public employees; enforcing worker health and

safety requirements; and pushing for additional

resources to help employers protect employees.

Sec. 2. Protecting Workers from COVID-19 Under the

Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Secretary of

Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor

for Occupational Safety and Health, in furtherance of

the policy described in section 1 of this order and

consistent with applicable law, shall:

(a) issue, within 2 weeks of the date of this order

and in conjunction or consultation with the heads of

any other appropriate executive departments and

agencies (agencies), revised guidance to employers on

workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic;

d

consistent with applicable law, shall:

(a) issue, within 2 weeks of the date of this order

and in conjunction or consultation with the heads of

any other appropriate executive departments and

agencies (agencies), revised guidance to employers on

workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic;

(b) consider whether any emergency temporary

standards on COVID-19, including with respect to masks

in the workplace, are necessary, and if such standards

are determined to be necessary, issue them by March 15,

2021;

(c) review the enforcement efforts of the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

related to COVID-19 and identify any short-, medium-,

and long-term changes that could be made to better

protect workers and ensure equity in enforcement;

(d) launch a national program to focus OSHA

enforcement efforts related to COVID-19 on violations

that put the largest number of workers at serious risk

or are contrary to anti-retaliation principles; and

(e) coordinate with the Department of Labor's

Office of Public Affairs and Office of Public

Engagement and all regional OSHA offices to conduct,

consistent with applicable law, a multilingual outreach

campaign to inform workers and their representatives of

their rights under applicable law. This campaign shall

include engagement with labor unions, community

organizations, and industries, and place a special

emphasis on communities hit hardest by the pandemic.

sistent with applicable law, a multilingual outreach

campaign to inform workers and their representatives of

their rights under applicable law. This campaign shall

include engagement with labor unions, community

organizations, and industries, and place a special

emphasis on communities hit hardest by the pandemic.

Sec. 3. Protecting Other Categories of Workers from

COVID-19. (a) The Secretary of Labor, acting through

the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational

Safety and Health and consistent with applicable law,

shall:

(i) coordinate with States that have occupational safety and health plans

approved under section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Act)

(29 U.S.C. 667) to seek to ensure that workers covered by such

[[Page 7212]]

plans are adequately protected from COVID-19, consistent with any revised

guidance or emergency temporary standards issued by OSHA; and

(ii) in States that do not have such plans, consult with State and local

government entities with responsibility for public employee safety and

health and with public employee unions to bolster protection from COVID-19

for public sector workers.

(b) The Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of

Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the

Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of

Energy, in consultation with the heads of any other

appropriate agencies, shall, consistent with applicable

law, explore mechanisms to protect workers not

protected under the Act so that they remain healthy and

safe on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of

Energy, in consultation with the heads of any other

appropriate agencies, shall, consistent with applicable

law, explore mechanisms to protect workers not

protected under the Act so that they remain healthy and

safe on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(c) The Secretary of Labor, acting through the

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and

Health, shall consider whether any emergency temporary

standards on COVID-19 applicable to coal and metal or

non-metal mines are necessary, and if such standards

are determined to be necessary and consistent with

applicable law, issue them as soon as practicable.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order

shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or

the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with

applicable law and subject to the availability of

appropriations.

[[Page 7213]]

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,

create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,

enforceable at law or in equity by any party against

the United States, its departments, agencies, or

entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any

other person.

(Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 21, 2021.

[FR Doc. 2021-01863

Filed 1-25-21; 11:15 am]

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