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Year into pandemic, this Navy shipyard is still without OSHA help

The agency has issued guidance but little else for maritime workers

When coronavirus started shuttering businesses a year ago, cogs in the U.S. national security machine had to stay open — and they did so without federal regulations on how to stay safe.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is charged with keeping work environments secure and healthy by implementing regulations and monitoring workplaces in-person.

However, 10 months after CQ Roll Call spoke to the head of a steelworkers union in Virginia, he said they still haven’t heard directly from OSHA or had an in-person visit to address worker safety during the pandemic. Watch the video for our latest conversation with Charles Spivey and the impact COVID-19 has had on his shipyard.

OSHA’s latest coronavirus guidelines were issued Jan. 29. In a statement to CQ Roll Call on Wednesday, OSHA repeated much of a previous statement from June: “The guidance provides best practices for workers in any number of industries that are applicable in workplaces across the country, not just ones that are covered by the OSH Act.”

[Navy has challenges keeping ships in shape during pandemic]

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