New OSHA guidance for COVID-19

Late last week in response to President Biden’s executive order, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued new guidance for employers in non-healthcare settings to further protect workers from COVID-19 which can better identify risks that could lead to exposure and contraction. 

Although the guidelines largely track current practices that most employers already follow, here is a snapshot of what you need to know about these guidelines.

• They encourage employers to institute policies for worker absences that don’t punish employees, and to communicate this policy for both English-speaking and non-English speaking workers;
• The encourage employers to create a prevention program that has a hazard assessment, and to use PPE if needed to mitigate the spread of COVID;
• They reinforce the use of face coverings, suggesting that the face covering does more to protect the wearer than once thought, and to continue to socially distance while using the face covering;
• They favor appointing a workplace coordinator responsible for coronavirus issues and adopt retaliation protections for workers who raise coronavirus-related concerns;
• They recommend training employees on COVID protocols, make information on testing readily available, and continue to conduct workplace screenings (where appropriate).

You can find the full released guidance here.