OSHA Issues Enforcement Memoranda for COVID-19 Work Place Health & Safety Requirements

The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted work place health and safety for nearly every company. What hasn’t changed is that the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) will continue taking the federal enforcement lead on worker safety. OHSA requires employers to provide health and safety training for employees that face job hazards. COVID-19 is no exception.

Preventing injuries and saving lives is in everyone’s best interest and the OSHA Standards have played a lead role in worker safety since 1971.

OSHA has created a website to assist employees in meeting their COVID-19 worker safety obligations, which includes recently issued standards for employers related to COVID-19. Recent OSHA enforcement memoranda issued include the following:

• Enforcement Guidance on Decontamination of Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. (April 24, 2020).

• Discretion in Enforcement when Considering an Employer's Good Faith Efforts During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. (April 16, 2020).

• Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). (April 13, 2020).

• Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). (April 10, 2020).

• Expanded Temporary Enforcement Guidance on Respiratory Protection Fit-Testing for N95 Filtering Facepieces in All Industries During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. (April 8, 2020).

• Enforcement Guidance for Use of Respiratory Protection Equipment Certified under Standards of Other Countries During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. (April 3, 2020).

• Enforcement Guidance for Respiratory Protection and the N95 Shortage Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. (April 3, 2020).

• Temporary Enforcement Guidance - Healthcare Respiratory Protection Annual Fit-Testing for N95 Filtering Facepieces During the COVID-19 Outbreak. (March 14, 2020).

CFR Environmental can provide health and safety a training program with specific training on a variety of topics, including COVID-19, hazard communication, PPE including respirator fit testing, powered industrial trucks, control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) and permit-required confined spaces. Training can be scheduled on-site at any time that accommodates your employees shift schedules.

CFR Environmental works with industry to serve as their in-house environmental, health and safety (EHS) consultant, including navigating the OSHA Standards to determine which type of initial and annual refresher training programs are required. Contact CFR to learn more about how we can help meet your OSHA obligations and assist your company with workplace health and safety.