Stakeholders

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.

Washington — Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia has renewed the two-year charter for the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, according to a notice published in the Nov. 6 Federal Register.

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.

Chicago — The American Medical Association has made available five new open access educational modules in an effort to provide physicians with proven strategies to support their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sacramento, CA — A bill signed into law Sept. 29 by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will require certain hospitals in the state to create and maintain at least a three-month supply of personal protective equipment, and ensure nurses and other health care workers use the PPE supplied to them.

Washington — In an effort to dispel “incorrect claims” about the efficacy of N95 respirators to protect wearers against COVID-19 infection, OSHA has added a section on respirators and particle size to its series of answers to frequently asked questions on protecting workers from exposure to the coronavirus.

Washington — NIOSH has extended until Dec. 14 the comment period for a Request for Information on the deployment and use of elastomeric half-mask respirators in health care settings and emergency medical services organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is evaluating its next course of action after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Sept. 18 denied a CVSA petition requesting that the agency update its definition of “personal conveyance” and clarify a mileage limit.

Washington — Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia has renewed the two-year charter for the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, OSHA announced in a notice published in the Oct. 2 Federal Register.

Atlanta — Employers should prioritize COVID-19 exposure controls for essential workers whose existing medical conditions put them at higher risk of severe illness from the potentially deadly disease, say researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.