Employers Get Leeway in Late Appeals of OSHA Worker-Safety Cases

Employers have gotten a reprieve in three recent cases in which they missed a 15-day statutory deadline to challenge federal worker-safety citations, a trend that could have greater impact because of the pandemic.

The second chance for late appeals of allegations that employers endangered workers — two-and-a-half years late, in one case — comes as businesses and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration face notification difficulties brought on by virus-related problems such as slow mail delivery and offices that are closed or thinly staffed.

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, which hears appeals of OSHA citations, is now ...