Six employers were cited by Cal/OSHA for failing to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19 because they didn’t update their workplace safety plans to properly address the coronavirus hazard. The state agency issued coronavirus-related citations to five healthcare facilities and one police department in California’s Bay Area, with fines ranging from $2,060 to $32,000. Some […]
Is six feet really the limit for person-to-person COVID-19 transmission? Unfortunately for businesses, the answer to that question seems to depend on who you ask. Recently, it may also have depended on when you ask. On Sept. 18, the CDC posted on its website that the coronavirus is transmitted mainly through the air. This would […]
Federal OSHA recently issued guidance addressing the use of cloth face masks for reducing the spread of COVID-19 while working in hot, humid environments or while performing strenuous physical activities. Two guidance documents OSHA issued in September recommend employers encourage the use of cloth face coverings to help prevent spreading the coronavirus while simultaneously addressing […]
Six months into the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., COVID-related citations from state OSHAs are beginning to appear with more regularity. The Oregon and Nevada agencies each fined several businesses for thousands of dollars in mid-September for failing to implement state mask and social distancing mandates. 2 Oregon businesses fined $9K+ each Oregon OSHA fined […]
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning about counterfeit respirators that may not be capable of providing adequate protection against COVID-19 are once again being marketed. These respirators are falsely marketed and sold as being approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for COVID-19 and may not provide appropriate […]
Cal/OSHA fined a frozen food manufacturer and its temporary agency over $200,000 each for COVID-19 violations at two facilities. Neither company took steps to protect employees by installing barriers or implementing social distancing procedures or investigating any of the more than 20 COVID-19 infections among its employees, including one death, according to Cal/OSHA. Lack of […]
The ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, to allow them to perform their jobs. However, even an employee who has a disability as defined by the ADA, and can perform the essential functions of the job, may be fired based on his or her disability if the employee poses a […]
As more and more businesses reopen after cornoavirus shutdowns, attention may need to be paid to air quality … … indoor air quality, that is. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) put out recommendations for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that’ll put occupants at ease and breathing easier. Shoot for best […]
What to do to prevent confrontations
