Arizona may lose the authority to oversee its own workplace safety program because of a pattern of ignoring federal directives involving COVID-19 protection, employer penalties and other issues, the Biden administration said Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is threatening to take the first step in revoking federal approval of Arizona’s plan for monitoring and protecting private, local and state employees.
Assistant U.S. Labor Secretary Doug Parker, who leads the agency, said a Federal Register notice proposing that Arizona’s approval be reconsidered will be published Thursday. The notice opens up a 35-day public comment period. The state could request a hearing at that time. After that, OSHA would issue a final decision.
"OSHA is asking Arizona OSHA to address the litany of issues that the agency has identified over the past decade," Parker told reporters in a conference call. "And I just want to be clear, this isn’t about a single instance." Arizona is the only state that refused to implement a temporary emergency standard related to COVID-19 last June, according to OSHA. The standard included ensuring there was enough personal protective gear for health care workers, room for 6 feet of social distancing and other mitigation measures. Agency officials say they worked "in good faith" and warned the Arizona regulators in October about the potential loss of approval.
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