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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 […]
While universal masking alone provided a reduced level of exposure to infectious particles, researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found evidence supporting a layered approach—physical distancing, ventilation, and masking—to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Results of a study out of NIOSH’s Health Effects Laboratory in […]
The respiratory protection needs of many U.S. workers are not being met, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published February 10. Many independent contractors and self-employed and “gig” workers are not considered employees or employers and are not covered by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, companies continued to experience a rise in physical security incidents in 2021, and they’re expecting these incidents to grow in 2022, according to a new survey report from Pro-Vigil. However, the report suggests the majority of companies have not made changes to their security strategies to mitigate these steadily […]
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 whether or not temperature screenings for employees and building guests are a HIPAA violation. See what the experts had to say. Q: Are temperature […]
American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) President John R. Mulhausen announced the group had secured commitments from the National Safety Council (NSC), the Society for Critical Care Medicine, the Indoor Air Quality Association Australia, and other public health organizations in support of the AIHA’s Commit to C.A.R.E. (Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Equity) campaign to reduce the risk […]
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has revised requirements for employee isolation and quarantine covered in an update to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) on its COVID-19 prevention emergency temporary standards (ETSs). Isolation requirements apply to employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, and quarantine requirements apply to employees who have been […]
The New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) issued a proposed regulation, authorized by the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), requiring private sector employers with 10 or more employees to establish joint employee-employer safety committees. The HERO Act, signed into law May 5, 2021, authorized the NYS DOL to […]
A federal appeals court lifted a judicial stay on the emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring employee COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing, and the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments January 7, 2022, about staying or striking down the rule. Will you be ready if the Supreme Court leaves the rule in place? The Occupational Safety […]
Is your warehouse prepared for the arrival of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspector? Warehouses and storage are on the agency’s primary industry target list under its National Emphasis Program (NEP) for COVID-19. In fact, OSHA already has cited and fined a Naperville, Illinois, logistics center following an outbreak of COVID-19 in which […]