OSHA Announces Plans to Protect Workers During Pandemic

Thursday, April 16, 2020 | 0

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced an interim enforcement response plan to protect workers and issued an alert listing safety tips that employers can follow to protect package delivery workers from exposure to the new coronavirus.

OSHA’s response plan outlines procedures for addressing reports of workplace hazards related to the pandemic. Field offices will prioritize on-site inspections for fatalities and “imminent danger exposures,” the agency said in a statement. And workers who request inspections or complain of coronavirus exposure may be protected under one or more whistleblower statutes and will be informed of their protections from retaliation.

At the same time, OSHA issued an alert listing safety tips employers can use to protect people delivering packages that include:

• Establishing flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts) where feasible.
• Minimizing interaction between drivers and customers by leaving deliveries at loading docks, doorsteps or other locations that do not require person-to-person exposures.
• Promoting personal hygiene. If workers do not have access to soap and water for handwashing, provide alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60% alcohol. Provide disinfectants and disposable towels workers can use to clean work surfaces, including vehicle interiors.
• Allowing workers to wear masks over their nose and mouth to prevent them from spreading the virus.
• Using Environmental Protection Agency-approved cleaning chemicals from List N or that have label claims against the coronavirus.
• Encouraging workers to report any safety and health concerns.