Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The COVID-19 outbreak is at top of mind for environment, health, and safety (EHS) professionals nationwide.
As COVID-19 regulations shift and employees start to reenter the workplace again in-person, EHS leaders need to be prepared to deal with the challenges that will come with returning to work. Workplace violence continues to be a cause for concern, and now that people are going to be working side by side again, it is […]
In April, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) not to establish a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard based on the agency’s June 21, 2021, emergency temporary standard (ETS). The AHA voiced its opposition to establishing a permanent standard not aligned with evolving evidence-based guidance from the Centers for Disease […]
On April 21, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed revoking its final approval of Arizona’s state workplace safety and health plan (87 Federal Register (FR) 23783). Federal OSHA could resume concurrent workplace safety and health enforcement in the state, as the status of Arizona’s program would revert to initial approval. The agency has […]
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board will weigh a third renewal of the state’s COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) this week at its April 21 meeting. If adopted, the proposed ETS would emphasize hand-washing, personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and worker removal, and ventilation as hazard controls rather than cleaning and disinfection. The […]
In its attempts to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) failed to collaborate or coordinate efforts with other federal agencies, the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded in a new report. The OIG pointed out the number of OSHA compliance safety and health officers […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) should establish federal workplace standards regarding ventilation, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), physical distancing, and other basic public health precautions in anticipation of future surges in COVID-19 infections, according to a group of public health experts. In a report titled “Getting to and Sustaining the Next Normal: […]
Are you ready for a wave of new federal worker safety and health regulations? OSHA is moving forward with several rulemakings, three of which are healthcare-specific, that could affect many employers. If you’re in the healthcare field, you could be facing a permanent COVID-19 standard based on the agency’s 2021 emergency temporary standard (ETS) and […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled an April 27 public hearing on establishing a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard. The agency is seeking input on changes to its June 21, 2021, emergency temporary standard (ETS). All but the recordkeeping provisions of the ETS was withdrawn on December 27. The agency does not plan […]
National COVID-19 occupational safety and health guidelines that include providing face coverings or personal protective equipment (PPE) and instituting face covering policies were associated with lowered COVID-19 risk, according to a new study. Brigham Young University researchers looked at how closely COVID-19 occupational safety and health guidelines in 36 countries conformed to recommendations from the […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has directed its area offices and state partners to ramp up COVID-19 health and safety enforcement in healthcare facilities. The agency described it as a “highly focused, short-term inspection initiative directed at hospitals and skilled nursing care facilities.” The 3-month enforcement surge in high-hazard healthcare facilities lasts from […]