The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Massachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title XXI, Chapter 149 (Labor and Industries)
- Issued
- 2026-09-28 Sept. 28, 2026
- Effective
- standing (read as 2026-09-28)
- End
- standing
- In force
- Standing since Sept. 28, 2026 (a statutory duty; in force throughout the six quarters)
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Workplace rulesStanding duty
- Addressees
- employers; places of employment (domestic service in the employer's home excepted)
- Character
- workplace duty
- Collection
- Standing duties: Massachusetts DUT-MA
Operative words
The department shall or the attorney general may investigate... employments and places of employment... and also shall or the attorney general may determine what suitable devices or other reasonable means or requirements for the prevention of industrial or occupational diseases shall be adopted or followed in any or all such employments or places of employment
Penalty
Fine of not more than $1,000 for each offense; complaint in the district court by the department, any aggrieved person, interested party or labor union officer
What it required
The Department of Labor Standards (and the Attorney General) determine the 'reasonable means or requirements for the prevention of industrial or occupational diseases' that 'shall be adopted or followed' in every place of employment and issue binding 'rules, regulations and orders' to that end; 'Whoever violates any rule, regulation or requirement made by the department under this section or section 6 1/2 shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars for each offense.' This is the statutory seat of DLS's role under COVID-19 Order No. 33 s. 2.
Retrieval noteMassachusetts has no State OSHA plan for private employers; G.L. c. 149, s. 6 1/2 (2014) applies OSHA standards to public employers through DLS. Order No. 33 recited DLS's authority under c. 149, ss. 6 and 6 1/2 and DPH's under c. 17, s. 2A and c. 111, ss. 6 and 127A (Ex. MA-017, authority_basis).