LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called the US Labor Department’s threat of revoking the state’s safety plan another example of overreach by the Biden administration.
Back in June, OSHA issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to help protect health care industry workers from the spread of the coronavirus. Officials said they reminded states of their regulatory obligation to adopt an ‘at least as effective’ ETS by July 21.
Federal regulators are requiring healthcare providers to give their employees certain PPE, follow social distancing guidelines and allow them paid time off to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Federal OSHA officials said South Carolina is one of three states yet to adopt these temporary standards.
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jim Frederick said, “The longer South Carolina refuses to adapt emergency temporary standard for healthcare workers. The longer they’re needlessly putting thousands of workers at risk for the spread of coronavirus.”
On Wednesday Governor McMaster said, “I think they have probably singled us out because we are a powerful voice for the constitutionality of legislation and laws and they are violating constitutional principles.”
The Governor told state OSHA to prepare for a long, legal fight over this. He wrote on Twitter, “This is clearly a preemptive strike by the federal government. With no state regulators in the way, the federal Labor Department will be free to penalize employers who do not comply with President Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate.”
Frederick said their mission is to keep workers safe on the job. He said, “The agency will not hesitate to use all its resources to protect workers from known health hazards.”
