Millions of Americans have jobs that put them at a higher risk of coming in contact with coronavirus as it spreads. Yet there is no federal regulation to protect people from airborne infectious diseases in the workplace, giving safety officials little power to make sure employers arent endangering their workers.

The lack of such a standard has alarmed workplace safety advocates as the number of cases continues to grow, reaching at least 118 on Tuesday. Their concern is great enough that some of the countrys largest unions are expected to call on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to implement a temporary, emergency standard for infectious disease during the outbreak, to protect everyone from nurses and home health aides to bus drivers and retail workers.

According to a draft petition obtained by HuffPost, unions within the AFL-CIO labor federation are asking for a comprehensive plan covering protective equipment, vaccinations, hazard training, medical surveillance for high-risk workers, and a written control plan. They are addressing their concerns to Eugene Scalia, the head of the Labor Department, which includes OSHA.

The union officials note that various federal agencies have issued their own guidance on how to handle the coronavirus, but some protections are stronger than others and employers lack clarity and consistency on where to turn.

OSHA is the clear choice to issue direct, protective requirements, as their core legislative mandate is to ensure the safety and health of Americas workforce, the draft letter states. OSHA must move expeditiously.

An OSHA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.