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Oregon fined a gym in Salem $ 126,749 that has repeatedly refused to close under coronavirus restrictions, the largest fine the state has imposed to date for coronavirus violations on the workplace.
Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA) announced Tuesday that it has fined Capitol Racquet Sports for deliberately refusing to comply with state health orders at one of its Courthouse Club Fitness centers in Salem .
The Courthouse Club did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The gym will have 30 days to decide whether to appeal the fine. He appealed against previous sanctions.
Gyms in counties deemed ‘at extreme risk’ for the spread of COVID-19 have not been allowed to perform indoor operations since late November under Governor Kate Brown’s new framework for COVID-19 restrictions . The new regulations came after Brown ordered gyms to be completely closed for two weeks in early November in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
Oregon OSHA assessed Courthouse Club Fitness four penalties totaling $ 90,000 in November for continuing to operate its facilities during Brown’s two-week freeze. The state imposed heavy fines after the gym continued to operate, even after Oregon OSHA issued red warnings that require companies to cease all actions that violate public safety rules. The state posted quotes at four Courthouse Club facilities and the company appealed to all.
Oregon OSHA conducted another inspection at one of these same four establishments on December 9 in response to multiple complaints and again found that Courthouse Club Fitness was deliberately ignoring public health orders and notices to close the establishment. . This prompted the agency to issue the gym its maximum fine allowed.
However, it’s unclear whether the state can or will force the gymnasium to close.
“We understand that this employer is trying to do a number of things to keep employees safe without shutting down, but that doesn’t allow them to substitute their judgment for that of public health officials,” said Michael Wood, administrator of the ‘Oregon OSHA, in a statement. .
While a handful of voice objectors have made headlines for refusing to follow state public health orders, the vast majority of businesses appear to be complying with Oregon’s restrictions and shutdown orders.
During the pandemic, Oregon OSHA also rarely issued fines and citations to companies not complying with coronavirus restrictions, focusing instead on education.
Since the start of the pandemic, Oregon OSHA has issued 12 citations to employers for deliberately ignoring health restrictions from COVID-19. In eight of these cases, employers continued to ignore these restrictions even after receiving red warnings.
“We expect employers to follow well-founded health regulations that are aimed directly at protecting workers from real danger,” Wood said. “And while we have been able to use engagement and education to resolve most COVID-19 complaints involving employers, we will also continue to use our enforcement tools as needed.”
– Jamie Goldberg | [email protected] | @jamiebgoldberg
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