Hazards

Richmond, VA — Less than two weeks after Virginia became the first state to approve an emergency temporary standard (16 VAC 25-220) to protect workers from COVID-19, the standard has gone into effect.

In women-dominated industries such as health care, as well as those in which women aren’t well represented, including construction and the trades, female workers are facing unique challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

What best practices can employers follow to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 inside confined spaces?

Heat-related illnesses accounted for 783 worker deaths and nearly 70,000 serious injuries in the United States from 1992 to 2016. And in 2018 alone, 3,950 workers experienced days away from work as a result of nonfatal injuries and illnesses from on-the-job heat exposure.

Silver Spring, MD — Three new resources from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training are intended to help prevent silica exposure among construction and surface mining workers who operate mobile equipment in enclosed cabs.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA, along with the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, has published a 25-page guidance document intended to help employers safely return workers to office settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

London — Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 1 out of 14 workers say they’d go to work even if they feel sick and regardless of how severe their symptoms are, results of a recent survey show.

Washington — OSHA has unveiled a public service announcement and billboard campaign it says is intended to remind workers of the agency’s commitment to protect their safety and health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Richmond, VA — Virginia became the first state to approve an emergency temporary standard to protect workers from COVID-19, after the Department of Labor and Industry’s Safety and Health Codes Board voted July 15 to approve the new rules.

Washington — A group of 10 Republican members of the House is urging GOP leaders to develop legislation directing OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard on infectious diseases to “safeguard” workers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.