OSHA Issues New Guidance Against COVID-19

//OSHA Issues New Guidance Against COVID-19
Masked woman in office

OSHA Issues New Guidance Against COVID-19

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is releasing new guidelines meant to help employers protect workers and slow the spread of the coronavirus. In its report, OSHA provides updated guidance on safety measures and health standards employers should follow during the COVID-19 pandemic, listing a few necessary steps.

“OSHA is updating its guidance to reduce the risk of transmission of the coronavirus and improve worker protections so businesses can operate safely and employees can stay safe and working,” says OSHA principal deputy assistant secretary Jim Frederick.

In a statement, OSHA says the new guidelines do not present a new legal obligation for employers, merely clarifications to reduce COVID-19 transmission. For more information, visit osha.gov.

Conduct
a hazard assessment to recognize potential chances to spread COVID-19.

Identify
control measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus to your staff and customers.

Adopt policies
for employee absences that don’t punish workers as a way to encourage potentially infected workers to remain home.

Ensure
coronavirus policies and procedures are communicated to both English and non-English speaking workers.

Implement
protections from retaliation for workers who raise coronavirus-related concerns.