Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The COVID-19 outbreak is at top of mind for environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals nationwide.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently collected safety and health information on cleaners and disinfectants that employers can use in their hazard communication programs. The NIOSH material includes a table of health hazards and protective measures for chemicals used as disinfectants.
A Virginia Department of Labor and Industry board decided June 24 to continue developing what could become the nation’s first emergency standard for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Massachusetts High Technology Council, a regional industry group, recently examined issues involved in reopening businesses and asking employees to return to work in the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A new report in the New England Journal of Medicine summarized their conclusions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identified six standards in addition to the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) that apply to businesses reopening as shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders begin lifting. The standards for personal protective equipment (PPE), 29 CFR §1910.132; respiratory protection, §1910.134; sanitation, §1910.141; hazard communication, […]
As states lift stay-at-home orders and workplaces reopen, employers must plan for potential hazards of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and routine workplace hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminded employers. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. COVID-19 currently is widespread in most U.S. communities and considered […]
Exceptions from respiratory protection regulations allowing the use of surgical masks only apply to healthcare facilities and emergency medical services, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminded employers. Other employers must provide respirators, the agency explained in guidance discussing the differences among cloth face coverings, surgical masks, and respirators.
As California hotels begin to reopen with the lifting of stay at home orders, the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and California Department of Public Health have issued guidelines for the hotels and lodging industry. Cal/OSHA and CDPH released the guidelines and a checklist to help employers in the industry keep employees […]
According to the American Medical Association, at least 30 states are reporting spikes in fatal opioid overdoses and ongoing concern about mental illness or substance use disorders, all in connection with COVID-19. To help employers address these interconnected issues, the National Safety Council (NSC) is calling on employers to prioritize employee stress and emotional and mental […]
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended but narrowed trucking regulation exemptions under its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency declaration. Deputy Administrator Jim Murren extended the exemptions for 50 states and the District of Columbia to July 14.
Non-National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) made in China are no longer authorized for decontamination, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on June 6.