Aggregates Gets a Pass for Covid Standard

June 11, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Labor released its long awaited Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) which targets healthcare and does not cover other workplaces under the jurisdiction of OSHA or MSHA. “We appreciate the administration’s review and thorough decision making to exclude the aggregates industry from the COVID-19 ETS,” said National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs Michele Stanley. “This is a positive recognition of the steps already taken by our member companies, which was achieved through diligent engagement with Congress, at the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Labor. For more than a year, NSSGA has been working to educate policymakers about the enhanced measures our members have taken to keep essential employees safe while producing the construction materials needed to continue building roads, bridges and highways that our country has continued to utilize during the pandemic. We are glad this issue is finalized, as NSSGA was successfully able to share the extraordinary lengths its members have taken to keep their employees safe during this unique time.”