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
Mortality numbers in the U.S. for COVID-19 – by August – have already surpassed the total number of preventable, accidental deaths in the country in 2018, the most recent year of final data, according to the National Safety Council. The latest data reveals the number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now […]
The National Safety Council says due to continuing concerns about COVID-19, its annual flagship conference will be a fully virtual event in March 2021. The exact dates for the virtual conference will be announced in the coming weeks. The NSC Congress & Expo had been scheduled for October 2020 in Indianapolis, and then was postponed […]
