WASHINGTON: U.S. President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday his administration would seek to determine if an emergency standard was needed to protect workers from COVID-19 and he vowed to make sure the workplace safety agency enforces safety rules.

"In the midst of a global pandemic, OSHA has been prevented from using its full range of tools to protect workers from COVID-19," he said in a statement marking the 50th anniversary of the law that created the agency - the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.