Understanding OSHA’s New Guidance to Prevent COVID-19
As the number of COVID-19 cases has continued to rise over the summer, so has the likelihood that the virus will impact your employees and potentially enter your workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released guidance to help employers navigate these situations.
On Thursday, July 30, 2020, G&A Partners Safety Consultant Jesse Valencia presented “Understanding OSHA’s New Guidance to Prevent COVID-19” to address the new hazards in the workplace and how best to protect employees. He shared important strategies employers could use to minimize the chances of employees contracting the disease while at work.
Valencia said the guidelines provided by OSHA should be the “bare minimum” of what measures you take to provide a safe and comfortable workplace for your employees. He offered numerous tips on how to implement safety and health procedures that went beyond the basic OSHA guidance, and then he explained the difference between what constituted a reportable incident and a recordable incident, and how to code it on the OSHA Form 300.
Some top advice Valencia offered includes:
- If some employees can work effectively from home, let them. You can use the extra space in the office to spread people out, limit possible contagion, and maintain safer distances among coworkers.
- OSHA guidelines and CDC recommendations and findings can and will change, so remain vigilant and monitor their websites regularly to ensure you maintain compliance.
- Download and familiarize yourself with the Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for COVID-19. It’s a tremendous resource.
- Be sure to account for the level of outbreak that is occurring in your community and react accordingly.
Watch the webinar for an information-packed guide to workplace safety during COVID-19, then download the slides to access additional resources.