The current administration’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate hit a roadblock after an Ohio federal court issued a stay on the order at the beginning of November, thus putting countless workers at risk of getting infected.

The death of a single worker due to occupational illness, i.e. because of the safety hazards posed by their work environment, would merely be one piece in a jigsaw puzzle that would stretch miles and miles if it were put to scale. Workplace safety issues have led to the deaths of countless workers in Ohio both from injuries and illnesses, and the numbers have escalated dangerously.

Negligence towards the safety of workers spreads across the spectrum – construction, paint, metallurgy, oil, and so on – name an industry, and there’s probably a rattling story out there about how recklessness from the management resulted in severe losses to the workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic once again presents a challenge for private employers and the public sector, but this time, concrete steps are being taken – or at least, were being taken. Recently, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals put a pause to the government’s push towards mandating vaccination or weekly PCR tests for COVID-19 to ensure workplace safety from occupational infections.

The government originally planned to take millions of U.S. workers into the fold of this monumental plan, but this pause may disrupt things a bit, leaving workers vulnerable to the new disease. However, the government has urged business owners to continue with the practice to ensure workplace safety for all employees even during the pause.

While the court order has put a momentary halt to the process, the COVID-19 vaccination mandate is far from being dead, and business owners can, on their own accord, continue to push for SOPs to ensure safety from the infection.

Procter & Gamble, a Cincinnati-based company, has also delayed its vaccine mandate due to limited testing supply kits but has committed to follow through with the protocol, albeit with a delayed timeline.

If someone you know has been exposed to an unsafe work environment leading to an occupational illness, seek out the services of our competent Ohio workers’ compensation lawyer for legal representation and timely financial recovery.

Source: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/11/11/federal-vaccine-mandate-biden-ohio-workers-what-to-know/6354391001/