Tag: CDC

CDC’s Updated Guidance Forces Employers to Consider Requiring Masks Indoors

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week recommended that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors in substantial or high-transmission areas. This is an about turn from the agency’s May guidance, which said it was safe for fully vaccinated people to […]

Safety team, COVID-19 standard

Ask the Expert: What’s OSHA’s View of New CDC Guidance?

The short answer is that OSHA’s still reviewing the latest CDC guidance related to COVID-19, and the issue remains complex. However, there are other considerations—for human resources as well as environment, health, and safety (EHS)—that relate to this recent subscriber question posed to experts at EHS Hero®.

COVID-19 safety in the workplace

NSC Weighs in on Updated COVID-19 Guidance from CDC

On May 14, the National Safety Council (NSC) expressed cautious support for updated COVID-19 recommendations for fully vaccinated people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC stated on May 13 that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or maintain physical distance from others in any indoor or […]

Workplace masks and distancing

CDC Mask Guidance: Employers Should Not Overreact

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) announcement that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can shed their masks in many settings, including indoors, no doubt came as welcome news to mask-weary workers, but employers are warned not to relax rules too quickly.

COVID-19 coronavirus

COVID-19: CDC Updates Employer Resources; Cal/OSHA Rules Take Effect; Former OSHA Head Joins Biden Advisory Board

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided updated resources on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for employers. These include a fact sheet on case investigation and contact tracing, critical infrastructure sector response planning, and information for school administrators and school nurses.

Robots and safety

As Thoughts Turn to the Future of Work, CDC Awards Grant for Robotics Safety Study

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded $1.5 million in funding over 3 years for research into reducing workers’ exposures to hazards through the development and use of collaborative robots, or co-robots, to be performed by the University of Illinois at Chicago and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the CDC announced.

COVID-19 testing

CDC Revises Definition of ‘Close Contact’ for COVID-19

On October 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced updated COVID-19 guidance, specifically the definition of “close contact.” The expanded definition states that the 15-minute exposure period should be measured based on a cumulative amount of time over 24 hours and not just a single 15-minute interaction.

Facility ventilation systems

Ventilation, Filtration Considerations for COVID-19 Risk Management

You may worry about a workplace outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in your offices or facilities, but do you need to budget for upgrading your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to hospital-grade standards?

safety statistics and data

NIOSH Highlights Importance of Occupation, Industry Data to COVID-19 Reports

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) stressed the importance of collecting, coding, analyzing, and reporting both industry and occupation data in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case reports to form better strategies for reducing the impact of the pandemic on workers.