I am pleased to present to you the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry 2020 Annual Report. 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges and one which emphasized the importance of our mission to promote safe, healthful workplaces for Virginia’s workers. In spite of these challenges, we have made tremendous strides this year in our work; job training through Registered Apprenticeship; protection of children from hazardous employment; and the safe operations of boiler and pressure vessels for Virginia’s workers. Some of those accomplishments include:

COVID EMERGENCY TEMPORARY STANDARD

DOLI created the first in the nation Emergency Temporary Standard to address Infectious Disease Prevention of COVID-19 in the workplace. The ETS was adopted by the Safety and Health Codes Board on July 15, 2020 and provided requirements for employers to control, prevent, and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among employers and workers in the workplace.

REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP

This year, our Registered Apprenticeship Division registered over 3,300 new apprentices, 261 new employer/sponsors, and issued over 1,800 completion certificates.

VIRGINIA OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

In 2020, VOSH Safety and Health Compliance Officers performed 1,668 inspections. During these inspections over 11,425 hazards were identified and corrected. In concert with the Health Compliance program, all DOLI compliance officers investigated approximately 2,583 employee complaints with 612 of those referrals resulting in inspections.

VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PROGRAMS

VPP certified two new sites and recertified four through the Virginia STAR program, bringing the combined total to 35 active STAR sites that demonstrate excellence in worker safety and health.

VIRGINIA BUILT

VOSH established Virginia BUILT, a Strategic Partnership with the Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia (ABCVA) to combine Challenge concepts with the ABCVA’s STEP (Safety Evaluation and Training Process) program to recognize commercial construction contractors that develop and implement exemplary safety and health management systems.

LABOR LAW

This year the Labor Law Division received and processed 16,122 Youth Employment Certificate applications. Additionally, Compliance Officers investigated 525 employment certificate applications and 32 complaint reports of youth employment violations.

BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL SAFETY

During 2020, the Boiler Safety Compliance Division continued to work toward its primary objective of protecting life and property by conducting over 35,000 inspections of boilers and pressure vessel equipment.

We at DOLI remain committed to serving the citizens, employers, and workers of the Commonwealth. Our qualified and highly-trained taff are available to assist you at our offices located throughout the Commonwealth. For additional information on our programs and services, please visit our website at http://www.doli.virginia.gov.

If my staff or I can be of assistance, please contact us.

Sincerely,

/c/ C. Ray Davenport
Commissioner