Workplace Exposures

Boston — Grocery store workers who interact with customers may be five times more likely to contract COVID-19 than their colleagues who don’t have direct contact with customers, results of a recent study led by researchers from Harvard University show.

Washington — OSHA has issued guidance intended to help employers in the long-term care industry protect the respiratory health of workers in nursing homes, assisted living and other LTC facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aurora, CO — Protecting the health and safety of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic will be a high priority for President-elect Joe Biden as he prepares to take office in January, according to former OSHA chief David Michaels.

Washington — OSHA has published an overview of its most common COVID-19-related citations – and a reminder of employer requirements.

Salem, OR — An emergency temporary standard intended to protect workers in Oregon from exposure to COVID-19 is set to go into effect Nov. 16.

Washington — Aimed at ensuring proper ventilation in indoor workplaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new OSHA safety alert lists measures employers and building managers should take.

New York — Exposure to pollutants such as vehicle exhaust, pesticides and wood smoke may be linked to structural and functional heart abnormalities that could lead to cardiovascular disease among Latino workers, results of a recent study published by the American Heart Association indicate.

San Francisco — The Washington State Nurses Association is among four labor unions suing Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and OSHA in an effort to compel the agency to move forward with rulemaking on an infectious diseases standard that would require employers in the health care industry to protect workers from exposure to harmful infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and influenza.

Trenton, NJ — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Oct. 28 signed an Executive Order that will require all employers in the state to follow health and safety protocols designed to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19.

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed part of its criteria for COVID-19 contact tracing, altering its definition of “close contact.”