Category: COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak is at top of mind for environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals nationwide.

California Adopts Nonemergency COVID-19 Rules

On December 15, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted nonemergency COVID-19 prevention regulations. The state’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETSs) remain in effect while the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) reviews the nonemergency regulations. The OAL has 30 days to conduct its review, but once approved, the nonemergency rules remain in […]

NIOSH Reveals Occupations With Highest COVID-19 Infections

Recent research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health revealed the six occupations with the highest levels of COVID-19 infections during the first months of the pandemic: massage therapist, food-processing worker, bailiff or correctional officer, funeral service worker, firstline supervisor of production and operating workers, and nursing assistant or psychiatric aide. The five […]

California COVID-19 ETS Set to Expire, ‘Nonemergency’ Rule in the Works

With California’s COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) set to expire at the end of the year, the state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering a “nonemergency” regulation. The standards board meets at 10 a.m. on December 15 but has no public hearing items on its agenda. The rule’s requirements for employer safeguards would […]

COVID-19 Task Force Calls for Tougher Indoor Air Standards

Existing building standards do not include ventilation and filtration targets strong enough to protect against respiratory disease infections like COVID-19, according to a new report from the Lancet COVID-19 Commission’s Task Force on Safe Work, Safe School, and Safe Travel. The group, which includes a former head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), […]

Ask the Expert: COVID-19 Reporting

In our latest installment of Ask the Expert, brought to you by the team of industry experts at EHS Hero®, we look at a recent question from a subscriber asking about COVID-19 reporting requirements. See what the experts had to say. Q: Were there COVID-19 reporting requirements prior to 2021? There were no federal COVID-19 reporting […]

NIOSH: 1 in 5 Non-Healthcare Workers May Be Exposed to COVID-19

Workers’ occupation, industry, and specific job duties factor into how physically close to others they must work, whether they need to interact with the public, and whether they are potentially exposed to infectious diseases like COVID-19, according to new research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In what may be the […]

Infographic: Indoor Air Quality

The biggest indoor air concerns for decades were exposure to radon, mold, and tobacco smoke. The focus has now shifted to respiratory infections and wildfire smoke, and newer requirements stress the importance of ventilation and air filtration. Here’s what you need to know about indoor air quality. Check out our Back to Basics: Spotlight on […]

Labor OIG: OSHA Did Not Protect Workers From COVID-19

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) did not sufficiently protect American workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded in an audit released October 31. An earlier OIG report found that OSHA reduced the number of inspections it conducted at a time when complaints increased […]

California Considering Two-Year COVID-19 Standard

With California’s COVID-19 emergency temporary standards (ETSs) expiring December 31, the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) is considering “nonemergency” regulations that would take effect January 1. The rules would remain in effect for two years, except for recordkeeping and reporting requirements, which would remain in effect for three years. The board issued […]

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Contractor Safety

You might be wondering how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting contractor safety. Well, to put it plainly, contractor safety is now a top priority for businesses across the globe. To keep workers safe, many companies have implemented strict health and safety guidelines that must be followed by all contractors. And in some cases, companies are […]