What Employers Should Know About OSHA Safety Regulations 1.35 MB 16 downloads
...The pandemic has ushered in a new era for employers in terms of risk and safety. Businesses are now prone to extremely challenging situations with respect to safety measures, employee productivity, and risk among other factors. Alongside these new changes, employers also must realign their business policies to match new laws and regulations due to COVID-19.
Previously, OSHA guidelines were relatively friendly. However, new policies focused on workplace safety and employee health are more stringent. These policies help to guide both employees and employers.
For employees
To curb the spread of coronavirus, employees now need to meet various guidelines to be able to work on-site. Employees need to isolate themselves if they have any symptoms. They are also required to quarantine for 14 days if they have been exposed to the virus.
The guidelines also give employees the right to protect themselves when at work. This can be done by the means of social distancing, face coverings like masks, and practicing good personal hygiene.
For employers
The guidelines mandate policies for employers to create a COVID-19 prevention program at the place of work to protect their companies from risk and liability.
Some parameters include assigning a coordinator to manage all issues that might arise due to COVID-19, conducting training programs for best practices of safety and hygiene, and performing cleaning and disinfection programs on a regular basis.
With such guidelines in place, employers can inculcate a few best practices and tools to maintain a safe work environment.
- Measure and monitor employee health: Conducting temperature checks and self-health assessments on a regular basis can help prevent and isolate any spread of the virus.
- Keep information confidential: All information collected about employee health should remain confidential to prevent any liability risk in the future.
With new guidelines and higher risks present, both employers and employees must be extremely vigilant with compliance with these policies.
