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For many years, the role of environment, health, and safety (EHS) managers was mainly behind the scenes. For EHS managers, simply developing and overseeing their organization’s safety programs reduced risk, but COVID-19 has changed the stakes, with risks played out center stage. Eric Glass, senior risk and safety advisor at UL, a leading global safety […]
No one is immune from the pandemic, but there are parts of our society that are experiencing greater loss and impact than others. One of the most dangerous effects is also one that is the hardest to identify—that of ideation, often fueled by feelings of injustice, a lack of control, and extreme depression and anxiety.
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.
On June 24, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced the adoption of new workplace safety standards to protect agricultural employees who work at night. The new standards to protect agricultural workers who harvest, operate vehicles, and perform other work between sunset and sunrise are the first lighting standards in the nation.
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 […]
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 […]
Employers should reopen only when they can do so safely, the National Safety Council (NSC) said in response to guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for office workers returning to work during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for reopening offices during the COVID-19 pandemic include wearing cloth masks throughout the workday; maintaining social distances of six feet, including in elevators; positioning workstations six feet apart or installing plastic partitions; and removing communal coffeepots.