Workplace exposures

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Washington — The White House Office of Management and Budget has issued a guidance memo to support federal agencies in their effort to “develop tailored COVID-19 workplace safety plans,” as required under an Executive Order signed Jan. 20 by President Joe Biden.

Washington — President Joe Biden on Jan. 21 signed an Executive Order directing OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration to consider emergency temporary standards related to COVID-19, among other steps.

Washington — New guidance from OSHA is intended to help agricultural employers reduce the spread of COVID-19 among workers who are transported to and from worksites in vehicles provided by employers.

Washington — A new webpage published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is intended to help employers and building managers improve the ventilation system in their facilities to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Silver Spring, MD — Pushing back on calls to roll back certain workplace safety rules, National Nurses United contends hospital industry cost-cutting has put health care worker safety at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the “current staffing and capacity crises.”

Bannockburn, IL — Nearly 1 out of 4 workers don’t receive training on COVID-19 safety guidelines, according to a recent survey commissioned by compliance company Stericycle.

Silver Spring, MD — In an effort to protect workers who handle products containing nanomaterials, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training has released a pair of toolbox talks and an infographic.

Sacramento, CA — The California Department of Public Health has directed general acute-care hospitals to conduct weekly COVID-19 testing of all health care workers and newly admitted patients, along with immediately testing employees with signs or symptoms of the disease.

Washington — The chemical substance perchloroethylene poses unreasonable risk to workers under certain conditions, according to a final risk evaluation recently released by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is now compelled to propose within one year regulatory action to mitigate the chemical’s hazards.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA intends to conduct inspections at jobsites where workers are most likely to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica, as part of the agency’s recently launched state emphasis program aimed at reducing exposure to silica and preventing silicosis.