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Workplace safety regulators field virus-related complaints

RICHMOND, Va. — State regulators have received more than 150 complaints about insufficient precautions being taken against coronavirus at Virginia workplaces.

The Roanoke Times reports the Department of Labor and Industry has contacted the employer in most of the 165 complaints received as of Thursday and requested a written response detailing steps taken to protect its workers.

Failure to respond or inadequate response could result in a referral to local law enforcement officials, an onsite inspection or other enforcement options.

A detailed breakdown of the complaints, including what regions of the state they came from, wasn’t immediately available.

Va. health dept. improves nursing home inspection backlog, reforms sanction criteria for facilities

Stories of neglect in care or unsanitary living situations have plagued several of Virginia’s nursing home facilities in recent years and data backs up a lapse in oversight by state agencies.  With reform efforts underway, the Virginia Department of Health officials said they aim to adopt sanction criteria by the end of the year to rein in bad actors and get troubled facilities back on track.  As of July, 58% of Virginia’s nursing homes were overdue for inspections and 68 of Virginia’s 289 nursing homes were found to have serious deficiencies, according to ProPublica. Several of the state’s flagged facilities with numerous deficiencies also had high staffing turnover rates.  The issue has been salient among various healthcare spaces, including VDH. 
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