The Biden administration has told OSHA to look into an emergency COVID-19 regulation for businesses but doesn’t mandate one as part of its overall plan. In a 200-page document, National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, a section on protecting workers says: “The President issued Executive Order Protecting Worker Health and Safety which […]
You know from experience that distracted workers are less safe, and the coronavirus pandemic may have your workers unusually distracted. Among the concerns that could be weighing on their minds – the security of their jobs, the health of family members and managing the schoolwork of their children. And they may be uncomfortable talking about […]
One of the few good things to come out of the coronavirus pandemic is your people are likely to be more safety conscious than they were a year ago. Because of the highly contagious nature of the virus, safety isn’t something they can forget about even off the job. For example, to prevent the spread of […]
The National Safety Council’s (NSC) Safe Actions For Employee Returns task force asked 302 employers with 250-500 employees about their responses to the coronavirus to get a feel for what’s working when it comes to workplace safety during the ongoing pandemic. Some of the most common actively implemented protocols, according to the survey, included: providing hand […]
Through Dec. 31, 2020, federal OSHA has issued citations from 300 inspections for coronavirus-related violations, with proposed penalties totaling $3,930,381. OSHA’s latest update adds six new businesses to the list of those cited for COVID-19 violations, including: Anna Rehabilitation and Nursing Center LLC in Anna, IL, which had the highest penalty of $21,591 The Lutheran […]
Essential workers know the best advice to avoid COVID-19: Wear a mask, maintain social distance and wash your hands. But what about “essential buildings?” Ventilation improvements are another way to keep employees safe from the coronavirus. The idea of improving building ventilation may trigger visions of expensive HVAC contractor invoices. But the CDC says that’s […]
For employers that decide to strongly encourage, rather than mandate, employees get the COVID-19 vaccine, what are the best ways to get more rolled-up sleeves? When it comes to encouraging safe work practices, training and educating workers are often at the top of the list for effectiveness. But a Wharton professor of management says for […]
As vaccines for the coronavirus go before the Food and Drug Administration for approval, the logistics of getting them to the general public are still a work in progress. For example, some of the vaccines have to be stored at extremely cold temperatures and must be administered within a certain time after defrosting. In addition, […]
A farm in Washington was fined more than $2 million – one of the largest worker safety and health fines in state history – for violating state COVID-19 rules, which led to the deaths of two workers. Despite the deaths of two workers and repeated surprise inspections by Washington Department of Labor & Industries investigators, […]
