In 2021, OSHA released COVID safety guidelines for meat plants and other food processing facilities — but stopped short of making them mandatory. The agency recommends using certain safety measures, such as face coverings and paid time off for employees to receive vaccinations. However, it does not require employers to follow these rules or produce written hazard analyses or safety plans.

The decision not to make these recommendations mandatory has drawn fire from unions like United Food and Commercial Workers, which believes the lack of a mandate will likely harm workers.