Two Oakland County businesses fined for COVID-19 workplace safety violations
Two additional Oakland County-based businesses have been cited and/or fined by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) for violating COVID-19 workplace safety regulations and for not having pandemic preparedness and response plans in place as required by state emergency order.
To date, there have been 22 Oakland County-based businesses fined or cited for violating COVID-19 workplace safety regulations and for not having pandemic preparedness and response plans in place as required by state emergency order.
MIOSHA officials conducts on-site inspections at each of the businesses before issuing the penalties, which ranged from $400 to $8,400. Violations included: failure to conduct health screenings, lack of face coverings, employee training on COVID-19 control strategies, social distancing, and preparedness and response plans.
Under MIOSHA’s Emergency Rules, businesses that resume in-person work must, among other things, have a written COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and provide thorough training to their employees that covers, at a minimum, workplace infection-control practices, the proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE), and steps workers must take to notify the business or operation of any symptoms of COVID-19 or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. An emergency rule citation carries a fine of up to $7,000.
The employers have 15 working days from receipt of the MIOSHA citations to contest the violations and penalties. Employers must provide proof to MIOSHA that abatement has been completed.
COVID-19 Emergency Rules Citations
Prefix Corporation in Rochester Hills: Cited for an other-than-serious violation of the emergency rules for a COVID-19 workplace safety requirement for not maintaining employee screening records. This inspection was a result of a state emphasis program for offices.
Bingham Farms Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Bingham Farms: Fined $700 for violation of the emergency rules for COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not providing a COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan, not implementing daily entry self-screening protocols, and not providing training to employees on SARSCoV-2 and COVID-19. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,400. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint.