On August 13, 2021 OSHA put out a release designed to help employers protect workers who are unvaccinated or otherwise “at-risk” individuals. It is important to note that OSHA did not create a new standard as these are only guidelines (for companies outside of Healthcare).
When the pandemic first emerged, all companies were forced to make adjustments to protect their employees. As the first wave of the pandemic began to lessen, there was an understandable desire to return to “normal operations”. Unfortunately, as the case rate begins to rise again we need to once more take precautions using the information that is now available to us. That being said, it is a good time to look at what your organization is doing to minimize the potential for spread of the variant of Covid-19. This time around is different than when the pandemic first started. Besides dealing with a very contagious variant, we now have vaccines in play and know more than we originally did about how Covid-19 is most often spread.
To that end, OSHA published "Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of Covid-19 in the Workplace."
11 Things Employers Can Do to Mitigate the Spread of Covid-19 at Work
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Facilitate employees getting vaccinated-OSHA has several ideas on how to best do this.
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Instruct any workers who are infected, unvaccinated workers who have had close contact with someone who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and all workers with Covid-19 symptoms to stay home from work.
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Implement physical distancing in all common areas at work for unvaccinated and otherwise at-risk workers. This is a reboot of the six foot distancing rule.
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Provide workers with face coverings or surgical masks as appropriate, unless their work task requires a respirator or other PPE.
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Educate or train workers on your Covid-19 policies and procedures using accessible formats and in languages they understand.
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Suggest, or require, that all visitors wear face coverings when present on your company grounds.
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Maintain ventilation systems - this has been a key way to help prevent the spread of this virus.
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Perform routine cleaning and disinfection.
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Record and report Covid -19 infections and deaths, if the cases are work related.
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Implement protections from retaliation and set up an anonymous process for workers to voice concerns about Covid-19 related hazards.
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Follow other applicable mandatory OSHA standards including PPE, respirators, Bloodborne pathogens, and others.
The entire article can be found at https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/safework
Coronavirus Resources from R&R Insurance
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, R&R Insurance has been providing updates of the ever evolving mandates and guidelines. All resources to get businesses back to business can be found at https://www.myknowledgebroker.com/coronavirus-resources-back-in-business.
