Top 10 Worksite EHS Articles for 2020 - Worksite Medical
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It seems like a year that just wouldn’t end, but 2020 is finally coming to a close.

From OSHA’s silica rule to COVID-19 (and everything about respirators), there’s been a lot to cover over the past 12 months. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 articles published on our website this year.

Hopefully, we’ve been able to help you stay up-to-date along the way. Thanks for reading, and we look forward to helping stay safe and healthy in 2021!

Top 10 Articles of 2020 - Ohio Healthcare Company Fined by OSHA - respirator covid-19

10. OSHA Fines Ohio Company $40K For Violating Respiratory Standard

OSHA cited an Ohio healthcare company for alleged serious violations of respirator regulations following an inspection initiated after the company reported the coronavirus-related hospitalization of seven employees.

OSHA proposed $40,082 in penalties after inspectors found that the employer committed two violations of the respirator standard. Though N95 respirators were provided to the healthcare workers, it’s important for employers to remember that OSHA regulations extend beyond simply providing PPE. 

READ MORE HERE

TOP 10 Articles of 2020 - COVID-19 visualization - OSHA makes COVID-19 recordable

9. OSHA Says COVID-19 is a Recordable Illness

On May 19, OSHA issued two revised enforcement policies to ensure employers are taking action to protect their employees.

The first focused on increasing in-person inspections, and the second made coronavirus a recordable illness under OSHA’s record-keeping requirements. 

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - N95 masks & reuse - fit testing coronavirus

8. How to Fit Test an N95 Mask For Workplace Use

With the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S, every workplace needed to adapt to keep workers healthy and safe.

For many businesses, that meant temporarily shutting the doors or having employees work from home. For companies that continued with on-site work, proactive measures needed to be taken to reduce the spread of the virus. Those measures included symptom screen and respirator use plus fit testing.

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - Silica Physical Exam- Worksite Medical

7. What to Know About OSHA’s Silica Standard Enforcement Guidance

In an effort to create more uniformity for the enforcement of silica standards, OSHA published an updated instructional inspection procedures for compliance safety and health officers.

The new “playbook” went into effect on June 25.

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - OSHA COVID-19 fines surpass $1.2 million

6. OSHA COVID-19 Fines Surpass $1.2 Million

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited 85 businesses for coronavirus-related violations between the beginning of the pandemic and Oct. 8, 2020.

The overwhelming majority of cited companies were located in the eastern portion of the United States. At that point, proposed penalties totaled a staggering $1,222,156.

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - Dental Respiratory Program - dentist wearing N95 mask

5. 3 Effective Ways to Decontaminate N95 Masks for Reuse

To help conserve masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA released a memo on using expired respirators and other alternatives.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommended three methods to decontaminate N95 facepieces for reuse after researchers at the agency successfully tested the effectiveness of these methods, as well as the function of the masks after repeat decontamination. 

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - OSHA releases report of most common COVID-19 violations

4. OSHA Releases Most Common COVID-19 Violations

On Nov. 6, OSHA released a list of the most frequently cited COVID-19 violations.

By better understanding which workplace hazards are the most common source of violations, employers can ensure they are adequately protecting workers and staying compliant. 

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - OSHA Tells Employers to Prepare For Coronavirus Outbreak

3. OSHA Tells Employers to Prepare for Coronavirus Outbreak

In March, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a guidance on preparing workplaces for a COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The guidance broke down risk categories and recommendations on how employers could reduce workers’ risk of exposure. 

Each category had corresponding recommendations for engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protection equipment to keep employees from contracting the virus. 

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - Importance of getting flu shot in 2020

2. Flu Shots More Important Than Ever in 2020

Medical experts recommend getting the flu shot every year.

However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more crucial than ever to get this yearly vaccine. With the U.S. health system already overwhelmed with cases of COVID-19, getting a flu shot, and doing so early, will help reduce the burden on hospitals, healthcare workers, and the health system in general.

READ MORE HERE

Top 10 Articles for 2020 - Employee Working With Silica Dust - silica standard to get more strict

1. The OSHA Silica Standard is About to Get More Strict

OSHA’s medical surveillance requirements for employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica have been in effect since June 2018.

On June 23, 2020, those requirements got even more stringent. Employers are now required to assess exposures for employees who will be occupationally exposed to respirable crystalline silica, at or above the action level (AL) for 30 or more days per year.

So, how big of a deal is that?

READ MORE HERE

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