COVID-19 Response

Information about curbing the spread of the virus and vaccinations to protect employees, families and businesses is updated continuously. The following resources are intended to help you stay informed and select what is important to you.

Experts remind businesses to follow COVID-19 protection guidelines. As a new strain of COVID-19 develops, safety and health professionals are urging businesses, schools and other organizations to keep using COVID-19 prevention methods developed by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). AIHA’s guidelines cover personal protective equipment, engineering controls, cleaning and physical distancing for 26 different industries.

OSHA Issues guidance on preventing COVID-19. OSHA issued new guidance that provides recommendations on reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and outlines existing applicable standards. Included in the guidance is a list of items to incorporate in a prevention program such as hazard assessments, policies in multiple languages and protections from retaliation.

CDC releases COVID-19 vaccine toolkit. The CDC published a COVID-19 vaccine communication toolkit for employers of essential workers. The toolkit contains numerous resources employers can use to educate employees on vaccines and address common concerns. Contents include letters, presentations, posters, sample social media messages and more.

Clarity on industrial worker priority for COVID-19 vaccinations. The vaccine rollout schedule can be unclear for some groups, including the industrial sector. An Industrial Safety & Hygiene News article explains which specific industries have employees that fall within the “essential worker” term and how soon they can expect vaccinations.

Recordkeeping considerations for COVID-19 cases. An article from Occupational Health & Safety magazine provides information on OSHA’s guidance for the recordkeeping of COVID-19 cases. The information includes clarification on many topics including confirming cases, working from home and reporting hospitalizations and deaths.

Updates to OSHA's on-site inspection guidelines. OSHA recently updated its Interim Enforcement Response Plan for COVID-19 to prioritize on-site inspections or a combination of on-site and remote efforts when necessary. The agency will still conduct remote-only inspections when an on-site inspection is deemed unsafe.

Key takeaways from new COVID-19 mandates. An Occupational Health & Safety article discusses four main impacts from the new OSHA COVID-19 guidance. Topics include management responsibilities, protocols, sanitation and vaccinations.

OSHA launches National Emphasis Program on COVID-19. OSHA launched a National Emphasis Program concerning enforcement efforts for companies who have employees at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. The program also prioritizes employers who aren’t abiding by anti-retaliation policies.

Veriforce announces SafeLandUSA 2021 Basic Orientation. As the oil and gas industry recovers from the economic challenges posed by COVID-19, training needs are expected to grow for new and returning workers. One of the accredited SafeLand training providers, Veriforce, announced an updated course for basic oil and gas training. SafeLandUSA 2021 Basic is an interactive training course that incorporates videos, case studies and a new driving portion featuring NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace.