More Citations for COVID-19 Violations Issued by Cal/OSHA
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) continues to cite multiple employers for safety and health violations related to workplace COVID-19 exposures.
Category: COVID-19
The COVID-19 outbreak is at top of mind for environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals nationwide.
Our Map of COVID-19 Cases Will Sunset June 3
After over a year of tracking the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the U.S., we will be sunsetting our interactive map of cases on Thursday, June 3. Read on for our final update to the map, a list of resources, plus animations showing how our map developed over time. We encourage readers to visit our map’s […]
How to Handle COVID-19 Complaints
Are you about to be hit with a wave of employee complaints or concerns about protections from workplace COVID-19 exposures?
Safety Advocates: OSHA COVID-19 Guidance Is First Step, ETS Needed
Workplace safety and health organizations acknowledged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) updated guidance on protecting employees from COVID-19 exposures as an important first step but reiterated their support for an enforceable emergency temporary standard (ETS).
OSHA Releases New, Stronger Guidance on COVID-19
On January 29, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued stronger workplace health and safety guidance for protecting employees from COVID-19 exposures. On January 21, President Joe Biden ordered OSHA to issue updated guidance within 2 weeks and consider establishing an emergency temporary standard (ETS) for workplace COVID-19 protections by March 15.
NIOSH’s Facial Hair and Respirators Infographic Viewed by Thousands
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently acknowledged that the infographic “Facial Hairstyles and Filtering Facepiece Respirators,” which was used in a November 2, 2017, blog post, has been downloaded over 19,000 times. NIOSH said that 95% of the downloads were made in 2020.
Virginia Adopts a Permanent COVID-19 Standard
Virginia adopted the nation’s first permanent standard for workplace exposures to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19. The regulation includes requirements for written preparedness and response plans, as well as cleaning and sanitation, personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing, training and recordkeeping, and ventilation.
Michigan Continues to Cite Employers for COVID-19 Violations
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) announced citations of 10 additional employers for violations related to workplace COVID-19 exposures. The state agency cited seven employers for violations of its emergency temporary COVID-19 rules and three employers under the General Duty Clause.
Oregon OSHA Warns Against COVID-19 Retaliation
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) reminded employers they are not allowed to retaliate against employees who must isolate or quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Biden Orders OSHA to Take Action on COVID-19
On January 21, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue updated employer guidance within 2 weeks on protecting workers from COVID-19. The EO also instructed the agency to consider establishing a COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) by March 15. It also ordered the Mine […]