"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
—Benjamin Franklin

Safety News and Updates

COVID-19 Workplace Guidance
Responding to President Joe Biden's executive order on worker health and safety, the Occupational Health Administration issued stronger guidance on identifying coronavirus exposure risks and implementing a COVID-19 Prevention Program at work.

The ASA Safety Committee is committed to helping our members during the COVID-19 crisis. For this reason, we are using the Safety News and Updates section to provide you critical information about the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the workplace and worker safety. For more general information and resources on COVID – 19 visit the ASA Resource Center.

Federated Insurance Launches mySHIELD^SM : An Online Destination for Risk Management Resources to Help Support Your Business

On August 31, 2020, Federated Insurance launched mySHIELD^SM, an online destination for risk management resources to help businesses succeed. A brief video highlights mySHIELD's many features.

READ MORE

OSHA'S EMERGENCY TEMPORARY STANDARD UPDATE

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new Emergency Temporary Standard in an effort to protect millions of workers from contracting Covid19 while working. The ETS covers employers with 100 or more employees and provides options for compliance. The ETS also requires employers to provide paid time to workers to get vaccinated and to allow for paid leave to recover from any side effects.

The ETS also requires employers to do the following:

• Determine the vaccination status of each employee, obtain acceptable proof of vaccination status from vaccinated employees and maintain records and a roster of each employee’s vaccination status.
• Require employees to provide prompt notice when they test positive for COVID-19 or receive a COVID-19 diagnosis. Employers must then remove the employee from the workplace, regardless of vaccination status; employers must not allow them to return to work until they meet required criteria.
• Ensure each worker who is not fully vaccinated is tested for COVID-19 at least weekly (if the worker is in the workplace at least once a week) or within 7 days before returning to work (if the worker is away from the workplace for a week or longer).
• Ensure that, in most circumstances, each employee who has not been fully vaccinated wears a face covering when indoors or when occupying a vehicle with another person for work purposes.

The Emergency Temporary Standard does not require employers to pay for testing or for face coverings. Employers may be required to pay for testing to comply with other laws, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, or other collectively negotiated agreements.

For complete information about the standard, implementation and additional resources, please refer to the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard HERE.

General Guidance Documents

• OSHA – Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
• CDC – Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a document titled Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19.
• OSHA has issued temporary enforcement guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic for recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses required under 29 CFR Part 1904. For more information see the Enforcement Memoranda section of OSHA's COVID-19 Safety and Health Topics page.
• AHIA Back to Work Safety™ webpage provided links to general guidance on operating safe work environments to lower COVID-19 risk in various settings include general office and construction.
• CDC Infographic– Reopening Workplaces During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• COVID-19 impact on Building Water Systems – includes best practices related to management of building water systems after a building has been closed for a period of time.
• U.S. EPA – Maintaining or Restoring Water Quality in Buildings with Low or Low Use

Cleaning and Disinfecting Documents

• EPA disinfectants registered for use against the coronavirus which causes COVID-19
• The CDC has put together recommendations for environmental cleaning and disinfection.
• The Indiana State Department of Health has put together a document providing cleaning guidance for businesses.
• The American Chemistry Council's (ACC) Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC) has compiled a list of products that have been pre-approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use against emerging enveloped viral pathogens and can be used during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
• AHIA Workplace Cleaning for COVID-19
• U.S. EPA Infographic on Guidance For Cleaning & Disinfecting
• CDC and U.S. EPA Guidance for Cleaning & Disinfecting

Legal Considerations

• Sidley has published a resource helpful when legal at the legal aspects of COVID-19 in the workplace.
• SESCO – Reopening a Business Without Opening Employer Liability

Example Procedure Templates Provided by ASA Members

• Sample SOP
  Responding to a positive COVID-19 test, symptomatic individual, shared household. Thanks to First Supply’s Brittney Cornillaud for this.
  Sample SOP
• Authorization to leave goods
  From Winsupply’s Greg Holbrock, sample instructions for use of Authorization to Leave Goods.
  Sample Instructions for use of Authorization to Leave Goods
• Leave form
  From Greg Holbrock, a sample Authorization to Leave form.
  Sample Authorization to Leave Form

The ASA Safety Committee would like to hear from you concerning resources you have found useful in helping to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in workplace. Please send any recommendations you might have to Jim Kendzel at jkendzel@asa.net.