Your go-to place for reliable occupational health-related information.
FEB2021
A newly released National Safety Council (NSC) survey shows 90 percent of employers are concerned about mental health and chronic stress impacting fitness for duty. In response, the NSC is calling on employers to consider far more than the effects of prescription drugs and illicit substances when identifying and managing employee impairment in the workplace. […]
Nine leading scientific and health organizations have endorsed recommendations for federal and state agencies to create specific guidelines to help prevent aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. A Joint Consensus Statement summarizes what occupational health and safety professionals and scientists know about airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission and outlines recommendations that call for related […]
JAN2021
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidance today focused on reducing employees’ COVID-19 exposure risk in U.S. workplaces. During his first week in office, President Biden directed the agency to release guidance to help employers keep healthy employees on the job and those with symptoms or exposure risk at home until it is […]
President Biden issued an Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety on Jan. 21 as part of the new administration’s efforts to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control. The order may result in a federal emergency temporary standard. Key provisions are summarized here: Policy to protect the health and safety of workers from COVID-19. […]
DEC2020
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued an updated version of “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.” The guidance features a new section explaining how COVID-19 vaccination of employees interacts with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights […]
California is now enforcing emergency temporary standards intended to protect employees from COVID-19 exposure hazards. The standards apply to most workers not covered by Cal/OSHA’s Aerosol Transmissible Diseases standard. Under the new regulations, employers must have a written COVID-19 Prevention Plan that addresses the following: A system for communicating information to employees about COVID-19 prevention procedures, testing, […]
Out of a total of 2.8 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses, 888,220 incidents caused a private industry employee to miss at least one day of work in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In its annual update on private industry workplace injuries and illnesses, the BLS also reported: Ten occupations accounted […]
NOV2020
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports it has issued 204 citations to covered employers for violating COVID-19-related safety standards. Potential penalties total $2,856,533. Violations include failure to: Implement a written respiratory protection program Provide a medical evaluation, respirator fit test, training on proper use of respirator and personal protective equipment Report an […]
