28 May

Posted at 21:11h in COVID-19, HR and Operations by . .

As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the United States, there has been a massive upheaval of the American workplace. Employers have found themselves drafting and implementing policies and procedures addressing a wide array of issues including remote work, layoffs, furloughs, pay cuts, workplace conditions and many more. Not surprisingly, the uncertainty wrought by COVID-19 has […]

22 May

Posted at 21:22h in COVID-19, Risk Management by . .

As state economies reopen, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) has issued interim general guidelines to help employers in California protect their workers from COVID-19. This interim guidance does not impose new legal obligations. The new guidance identifies specific infection control measures that are mandatory for California employers to implement and include in […]

20 May

Posted at 21:45h in Risk Management White Papers, Safety by . .

On May 19, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the following revised policies for enforcing OSHA’s requirements with respect to coronavirus: Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan. OSHA will return to in-person inspections in many workplaces now that personal protective equipment potentially needed for inspections is more widely available. OSHA staff will continue […]

17 Apr

Posted at 21:22h in COVID-19, Risk Management, Risk Management White Papers by . .

Due to complaints related to a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), insufficient training on appropriate standards and possible coronavirus illness (COVID-19) transmissions in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued temporary guidance for its area offices to use in their efforts to enforce the agency's workplace safety and health mandates. These mandates require employers to take prompt actions to mitigate hazards and protect employees during the COVID-19 pandemic

The new guidance, issued on April 13, 2020, directs OSHA compliance officers to process most complaints from non-healthcare and non-emergency response establishments as “non-formal” and to conduct investigations via phone or fax whenever possible. However, employers should know that after receiving a serious incident report, OSHA area directors will determine whether to conduct an inspection or a rapid response investigation (RRI). RRIs are intended to identify any hazards, provide abatement assistance and confirm abatement, and OSHA generally encourages area directors to recommend them. This Compliance Bulletin provides a summary of the enforcement guidance provisions that relate specifically to COVID-19 issues.

13 Apr

Posted at 21:06h in COVID-19, Risk Management, Safety by . .

Prevent Worker Exposure to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The novel coronavirus (officially called COVID-19) is believed to spread from person-to-person, primarily through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus is also believed to spread by people touching a surface or object and then touching one’s mouth, nose, or possibly the eyes.