Webinar: Preparing for OSHA Requirements for COVID-19 prevention When: Thursday May 13, 2021 - 01:00 PM Duration: 60 Minutes.
The 2019-2021 Covid-19 epidemic has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and has also caused enormous disruption to businesses and supply chains. Many small businesses such as restaurants have closed for good, and larger businesses have suffered enormous losses. The good news is however that off-the-shelf Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) as recommended by OSHA, ASHRAE, and other authoritative sources can reduce the risks to workers and customers, and also to continuity of operations. Some of the adaptations to the epidemic, such as working from home along with distance education and distance conferencing have proved meanwhile to be very cost effective, and a strong argument can be made for continuing to use them even after the new vaccines eradicate this disease.
1. The HEROES Act (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act) would have required OSHA to develop a standard for protection against occupational exposure to pathogens such as COVID-19.
· Even though this was not enacted into law in 2020, there is a chance that subsequent legislation may require this.
· Even if no law or regulation requires compliance to a standard of this nature, we have an ethical obligation to protect workers, customers, and other stakeholders from Covid-19 and anything like it. There is also an overwhelming business case for ensuring continuity of operations, noting that businesses have in fact been shut down due to outbreaks while supply chains also have been affected.
2. OSHA’s "Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19" gives us a good idea of what to expect in a standard and can be used immediately regardless of whether a standard is developed.
3. Planning requires consideration of two principal contagion sources; coughs and contaminated surfaces.
4. Reduce the risk through, for example, curbside pickup and home delivery.
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a last line of defence.
6. Eliminate the risk through telecommuting, distance conferencing, and distance education. This has proven very cost-effective and should, in most cases, be continued even after the disease is eradicated.
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