Like many essential industries, both the public shipyards that maintain the Navy’s fleet and the private shipyards that build them have had to adapt to working under a pandemic.

Experts, members of Congress and union workers all say the Navy will have to continue to evolve to deal with the pandemic. However, there is one agency whose efforts, to some, fall short: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

[Pandemic gives Navy ‘opportunity’ to revise its long-term plans]

In a statement Wednesday, OSHA said it has issued a guide to workers and employers about the pandemic, including recommendations for workers to wear face masks and the use of other barriers to separate workers from visitors. 

“Employers are and will continue to be responsible for providing a workplace free of known health and safety hazards. OSHA’s requirements remain in place to ensure that workers are protected from exposure to infectious diseases and other hazards in the workplace.”