As more establishments reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever for owners and management teams to prepare the workplace and make sure it is safe. Earning an OSHA safety certification can give your customers and employees confidence to transact with you. It ensures that the business is practicing the “new normal” standards and protocols to ensure the health and safety of everyone—from your staff to your clients.
Staying up to date
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration created and released a COVID-19 planning guidance according to industrial hygiene and traditional infection prevention practices. All employers and workers must refer to this guide to identify various risk levels in their workplace and determine the right control measures to use.
It is important to note that OSHA’s guidance is not a regulation or a standard and that it does not imply any new legal obligations. Rather, it contains recommendations and descriptions of mandatory health and safety standards. “Recommendations are advisory and informational, with the intention to aid workers and employers to create and provide a healthful and safe workplace.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires employers to be compliant with the health and safety regulations and standards promulgated by the OSHA or by the state with an approved state plan by the OSHA. Moreover, the General Duty Clause of the Act requires all employers to give employees a workplace that is free from recognized hazards, which are likely to cause serious physical harm or death.
The details of the new guidance can be overwhelming. The good news is that there are OSHA training classes that are designed to help employers understand the most critical points that affect them, so that they can apply up-to-date safety and health practices in their workplace.
How does COVID-19 affect the workplace?
The COVID-19 virus (called SARS-CoV-2) is easily transmissible and has the potential to cause an outbreak in the workplace. As a vaccine has yet to be developed, the outbreak may become extensive and cause the following problems:
- Absenteeism – Infected workers are required to self-isolate and seek treatment if they are sick. Workers who are immunocompromised or living with people who are at a high risk of experiencing the severe effects of COVID-19 may prefer not to go to work to protect themselves and their loved ones.
- Interrupted delivery and supply – Items being shipped from areas that are severely affected by the coronavirus may be canceled or delayed.
- Changing commerce patterns – Consumer demands may shift to products that help with infection prevention, or shoppers may change their buying behavior, such as choosing to shop online or during off-peak hours to minimize contact with other customers.
What employers can do
Applying OSHA’s guidance to prepare the workplace can help maintain an employer’s OSHA safety certification during the pandemic. It’s important to take the following steps to risk the exposure of employees to the coronavirus:
- Create a plan for infectious disease preparedness and response
- Get ready to implement basic measures for infection prevention
- Make procedures and policies for quick identification and isolation of people who are sick, if appropriate
- Create, implement, and communicate about workplace protections and flexibilities
- Implement workplace controls
It is also crucial to follow the existing OSHA standards for protecting workers from infection with and exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Investing in OSHA training classes is one of the best ways to ensure best practices.
Do you really need to follow OSHA’s guidance for COVID-19?
Businesses and establishments that are found to violate OSHA’s COVID-19 protocols are being fined. Some companies have already been fined for failing to protect their employees from becoming sick. Not all companies are aware of OSHA inspections.
As per OSHA, they would consider the effort of employers to comply with their regulations during inspections. So if the employer is seen to be exerting maximum effort to comply with health and safety protocols, OSHA may be more understanding. However, blatant disregard for the protocols could result in hefty fines—such as a maximum of $13,494 for every serious/other-than-serious posting requirements or failure to abate, and $134,937 for repeated or willful violations.
Make sure your workplace is ready Should you require preparation to ensure the health and safety of your employees and avoid hefty OSHA fines, get in touch with us here at Impact Safety for OSHA training classes and certification. We also provide safety consulting services.
