UPS Fined For Violating COVID-19 Safety Rules

Livonia, MI (Workerscompensation.com) -The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has been working with businesses throughout the state on how to best prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  Two weeks ago, the agency issued its first round of COVID-19 “general duty” citations and had announced that they cited six different businesses, one being a UPS distribution facility on Schoolcraft Road in Livonia.

The MIOSHA “general duty” clause requires that all employers ensure the safety of their employees.  They must make sure that work environments contain no recognized hazards that could cause, are causing, or is likely to cause serious physical harm or death to workers.  If a business owner does not comply, it must pay a fine of up to $7,000. UPS has been fined $7,000 for violating workplace safety. 

What initiated the on-site inspection of the UPS facility was a complaint, which uncovered the following:

• The employer did not make sure that all sorters/loaders participated in a daily entry health screening protocol.
• The employer allowed the delivery drivers and loaders in the facility to work within six feet of one another when it was feasible to have them work further apart.
• The employer did not require employees to wear face coverings when they were not maintaining six feet of separation from others in the workplace.
• The employer did not make sure that the delivery vehicles were cleaned sufficiently.
• The employer had not conducted employee training on COVID-19 that covered all the elements of the preparedness and response plan.
• The employer had not adequately implemented its COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, including enforcement of face coverings, social distancing, and health screening.

“We’re focused on education first so employers know what they must do to safely reopen. But a failure to follow guidelines puts everyone at risk,” stated Michigan COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director, Sean Egan in a press release. “While these citations are necessary to prevent potential serious illness, they are not a reflection of the tremendous cooperation we have seen from employers and their workers across the state. A vast majority of businesses are doing their part to keep our economy open by following the proper guidance.”

A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity tells WorkersCompensation.com, now that UPS has been fined, “The employer is required to provide to MIOSHA for review a detailed description on how the violations were corrected. If satisfactory abatement is provided, MIOSHA will not need to conduct a follow-up inspection for the particular items as they pertain to this investigation.”

We were also told that at this time, “MIOSHA has not received an appeal. The company has 15 working days from receipt of the MIOSHA citations to contest the violations and penalties.”

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