Covid19 Tag

02 Oct

Posted at 18:06h in Risk Management by
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued guidance on safety protocols employees can use when wearing cloth face coverings in hot, humid indoor and outdoor work conditions. Wearing face coverings has become necessary in multiple industries because of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Heat-Related Illness and Respiratory Hazard

According to OSHA, hot and humid working conditions can pose a respiratory hazard to workers and account for 50 to 70% of all outdoor fatalities in the workplace. Hazardous heat exposure can occur indoors or outdoors, and can occur during any season if the conditions are right. For these reasons, and because of the current pandemic, OSHA has published guidance for employers on how they can protect workers who wear cloth face coverings in hot and humid work conditions.

25 Sep

Posted at 20:55h in HR by
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Keeping track of employee productivity has always been important, but it’s even more significant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the majority of employers allowing remote work, accurate time tracking isn’t always a guarantee.

However, despite the challenge, it’s critical that all employers strive for accuracy. In fact, not doing so can lead to confusion, lost productivity and other consequences. This article outlines an employer’s general time tracking responsibilities and offers some best practices to follow.

25 Sep

Posted at 17:59h in HR, Risk Management by
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On Sept. 17, 2020, California enacted a new law (AB 685) that authorizes the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (the Division) to issue stop-work orders for facilities or operations that pose an imminent COVID-19 hazard to workers.

The new law also requires employers to:
  • Notify workers when they have potentially been exposed to the coronavirus in the workplace; and
  • Notify local public health agencies when a worksite has a COVID-19 outbreak.

14 Sep

Posted at 16:21h in Risk Management by
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On Sept. 11, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended yet again the emergency declaration that provides truck drivers an exemption from Parts 390 to 399 of the federal motor carrier regulations (including hours of service, vehicle inspection and driver qualification rules).

COVID-19 trucking exemptions were originally issued on March 13, 2020, but have been repeatedly expanded to remain in force throughout the current pandemic. This latest extension is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2020, or until the national state of emergency ends, whichever comes sooner.

09 Sep

Posted at 16:04h in Safety by
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The FDA is warning consumers to refrain from using more than 150 sanitizers.

Hand hygiene is an important response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands with soap and water. If those aren’t available, using a hand sanitizer can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers that some hand sanitizers are dangerous to use. The FDA’s first warning was issued in June 2020 after the agency discovered nine brands of hand sanitizer that contained methanol, or wood alcohol, which is a substance that can be toxic when ingested or absorbed through the skin. Since this first discovery, the agency launched an investigation into the safety of hand sanitizers.

04 Sep

Posted at 16:40h in Safety by
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The past few months have seen multiple instances of aggression and violence against workers who attempted to enforce their establishment’s COVID-19 prevention policies and practices with customers.

As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new guidance instructing employees not to force any customer who appears upset or potentially violent to comply with their workplace’s COVID-19 prevention requirements. In addition to this new guidance, the CDC also provided strategies to help employers reduce the risk of violence that may be aimed at their staff when implementing organizational standards to limit the spread of COVID-19. Keep reading to learn more about the CDC’s latest guidance and workplace violence prevention strategies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

02 Sep

Posted at 21:48h in HR by
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In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, states have passed new laws and issued new regulations and guidance about employee leave taken for COVID-19 reasons.

These provisions are in addition to the federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion requirements passed on March 18 as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). In general, employee leave permitted under new state COVID-19 rules and guidance varies with respect to factors like the employers and employees covered by the leave, the length and purpose of the leave, whether the leave is compensated and at what rate, and whether the leave is provided under a new law or rule, or covered under an existing provision.

28 Aug

Posted at 17:05h in HR by
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The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on nearly every facet of the workplace. With everything upended, employers are understandably focused on maintaining their service and product quality. But working hard isn’t the only key to successfully enduring the pandemic—in fact, the opposite may be just as critical.

Paid time off (PTO) is something many employees take for granted. Hundreds of millions of vacation days go unused each year, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Due to a variety of factors, some employees opt not to use time off, and they—and the entire organization—end up suffering for it in the long run. This article explains why encouraging employees to take PTO can be just as important, if not more so, than encouraging the “hustle” culture.