OSHA proposes to revoke Arizona’s occupational safety and health plan

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today proposed revoking its approval of Arizona’s occupational safety and health plan, saying the state has failed to adopt OSHA’s emergency temporary standard for occupational exposure to COVID-19 and has a history of failing to meet its obligations under the plan. Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1980, states may opt to develop and enforce their own occupational safety and health standards by obtaining federal approval for a state plan, a process Arizona completed in 1985. OSHA will accept comments on its proposal to revoke approval of the state plan for 35 days beginning tomorrow. If the agency decides to revoke approval of the plan, OSHA would automatically resume concurrent authority to set and enforce occupational safety and health standards in the state.

OSHA last December withdrew its emergency temporary standard for occupational exposure to COVID-19, but urged all health care employers to continue to implement the requirements while it develops a final standard. OSHA last month reopened the comment period for certain topics in the interim final rule establishing the standard and scheduled an April 27 hearing to gather additional information from health care stakeholders. AHA plans to submit comments.