Posted on May 10, 2022June 10, 2022 by TMullins — Leave a comment

Important Tips for Ensuring Safe Jobs for Youth

In some states, the month of May is Safe Jobs for Youth Month. Communities benefit greatly by having teens in the workforce. Employment teaches young people important skills, including responsibility, timeliness, honesty, teamwork, resourcefulness, communication skills and confidence.

Many states have departments of labor that work with employers and parents to help keep young workers safe and healthy. Youth will benefit from learning these valuable life lessons. Fast food, grocery stores, general retail, and lawn care are the most popular jobs for teenagers. Most states have laws that restrict the age, number of hours, and occupations youth can work during the school year and in the summer.

Tips for Youth Employers and Parents

Youth employment safety starts at home. It is also an important responsibility of employers. It’s vital for the parents along with employers of young workers to make sure that young employees know how to be safe. Teens need to be able to identify potential safety risks. Together, we can work to keep young employees safe in the workplace. At the same time they will gain valuable skills to guide them into the future.

Here are a few key things to consider as kids head off to work:

Be aware of how youth employment laws impact different ages, particularly 14-15 year old youth workers.
Know the name of your child’s employer, as well as any location he or she may be working.
Look up the law on acceptable work hours for youth and be a part of the discussion when determining your child’s schedule. Often, this information is included on State Labor Law Posters.
Do some research and find out if the employer stresses safety on the job. Do they provide workers’ compensation insurance and if so, who is their carrier?
Find out what specific types of work your child will be doing and verify that those tasks are allowed under youth employment laws.
Know the potential hazards of the work being done and ensure that proper training will take place to ensure your child’s/ employee’s safety.

Our communities benefit as we all work together to prepare our young people to be valuable assets while also being safe in the workplace.

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Posted on January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 by TMullins — Leave a comment

10 Steps for Identifying & Handling Hazardous Materials

Hazardous materials are ubiquitous in a variety of workplaces and industries. From common household chemicals like cleaning products and antifreeze to industry-specific chemicals like muriatic acid, dangerous substances are a part of everyday life and work.

Unfortunately, when employees aren’t properly trained on handling hazardous materials (or these materials aren’t labelled or stored properly), workers can become injured, hospitalized, and can even potentially die from burns, cuts, explosions, and more.

While some workplaces are replacing harmful chemicals with more eco-friendly ones, this isn’t always an option for every industry. So here are 10 steps to help your employees take the initiative and keep safe when interacting with hazardous materials at your workplace.

1: Ensure all hazardous materials are labelled and stored properly

Have you taken inventory of all hazardous materials in your workplace? Identify all potentially hazardous materials and verify that they’re labelled and stored correctly. Keep hazardous materials in dry, cool areas with proper ventilation — and possibly behind locked doors, when applicable. Ensure incompatible chemicals aren’t stored close together, either, as these can cause dangerous chemical reactions and result in fires or explosions.

OSHA requires hazardous materials to be labelled and accompanied by safety data sheets (SDS). Don’t remove or change these container labels. If a label is missing, don’t use the material or chemical — and instruct your employees to notify a supervisor if they come across an unlabeled substance.

2: Keep Safety Data Sheets accessible to employees

Safety Data Sheets are valuable resources for you and your employees when it comes to identifying and handling hazardous materials. They share the properties of each chemical at your workplace, their hazards, and guidelines for managing each chemical or material. Whether you keep them in an electronic database or store paper copies, SDS should be readily available to all employees — not locked up or kept in a password-protected location.

3: Train employees on reading chemical labels & SDS

You can’t expect every team member to be an expert on every chemical you keep in the workplace, which is why chemical labels and SDS are so useful. Chemical labels and SDS tell your employees everything they need to know about a substance: from the types of dangers it poses (whether it’s flammable, causes cancer, is poisonous, etc.) to instructions for how to manage leaks, spills, or accidents involving the material. They state how a material should be stored and used, and how it should be disposed of.

However, labels and SDS aren’t much help if your team doesn’t use them! To ensure everyone has access to accurate information about your hazardous materials, require your team to take a safety training course on reading chemical labels. Not only is a course a great way to verify your team’s knowledge is up to date, but it will help you cover your bases with OSHA, which requires that workers are able to understand chemical labels and SDS.

4: Control hazardous energy using proper lockout/tagout procedures

If your work environment involves potential hazardous energy releases from equipment or machines, a lockout/tagout process is essential to keeping your workers safe from accidents like burns, amputation, fractures, and more.

Here’s a lockout/tagout training booklet to include in your workplace safety program.

5: Ensure employees understand OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard

If you’re a chemical manufacturer, you’ll want your employees to be up-to-date on OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard. To start, here’s a booklet that summarizes the OSHA Standard and provides important details about chemicals, safety data sheets, handling leaks and spills, PPE, and more.

6: Have PPE and emergency equipment ready and available

Your PPE and emergency equipment will vary depending on your workplace, but here are some examples:

Face masks, gloves, and goggles
Hand washing stations
Eye wash stations

Replace PPE if it becomes damaged or worn, and don’t reuse disposable PPE. Cleaning areas should be clutter-free and regularly inspected.

7: Store hazardous materials in their proper containers

Chemicals and other hazardous materials must stay in their original containers. Don’t mix them with other substances or put them into food containers.

8: Handle hazardous materials with care

Each material or substance has its own requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE), handling, use with other substances, and cleanup — so read labels carefully. Only use chemicals for their intended purpose, and take care to follow procedures when transporting hazmat from one location to another.

9: Familiarize yourself with emergency procedures

Accidents happen, so your familiarity with emergency protocol can potentially mean the difference between serious injury and safety. What happens if there’s a chemical fire, spill, or a worker is injured from handling a dangerous substance? When should your team evacuate the premises? Have an emergency plan written and posted for your team to reference.

10: Dispose of hazardous materials properly

Different hazardous materials require different disposal methods. Some chemicals can never be poured down the drain, in the sewer, or even disposed of in the trash. Further, some materials require special sealed containers for disposal, while others may need to be transported to a special facility for disposal.

When it comes to workplace safety, don’t delay. Reinforce the need for vigilance around hazardous materials by checking out our affordable and ready-to-use hazard communication training kits.

Confined Space Entry Streaming (English)

Many workplaces contain spaces that are considered “confined” because their configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. A confined space has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and it is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. Confined spaces include, but are not limited to underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines. OSHA uses the term “permit-required confined space” (permit space) to describe a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.

Confined Space Entry Training Class Topic Overview:

Contents of OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA
Confined space definition
Hazards of confined spaces
Confined space entry procedures
Training for entrants, attendants and supervisors
Acute or chronic effects of working in confined spaces
Permit-required confined spaces
Emergency rescue from confined spaces
Personal Protective Equipment in Confined Spaces

Our easy-to-use video kit provides all the necessary materials for running successful training, including:

20-minute Confined Entry for Construction Safety Training Video written by industry professionals
Confined Entry for Construction PowerPoint Presentation for classroom use

OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA compliant content
Printable documents, including:
- Training outline
- Compliance Manual
- Completion Certificate & Wallet Cards / ID card
- Attendance Log / Sign-In Form
- Employee Quiz and Answer Key
- Confined entry safety supplemental printouts

Course Outcomes

After completing this training, workers will be certified in the OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA and should be able to use sound judgment and work within confined spaces safely.

Who should take this course?

Any workers in industrial, warehouse, manufacturing, food service, maintenance or other industries who will work in or around confined entry spaces. This training is also suitable supervisors, managers, to train the trainer or as a refresher course for seasoned employees.

Confined Space Entry Streaming (Spanish)

Confined Space Entry Training Class Topic Overview:

Contents of OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA
Confined space definition
Hazards of confined spaces
Confined space entry procedures
Training for entrants, attendants and supervisors
Acute or chronic effects of working in confined spaces
Permit-required confined spaces
Emergency rescue from confined spaces
Personal Protective Equipment in Confined Spaces

Our easy-to-use video kit provides all the necessary materials for running successful training, including:

20-minute Confined Entry for Construction Safety Training Video written by industry professionals
Confined Entry for Construction PowerPoint Presentation for classroom use

OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA compliant content
Printable documents, including:
- Training outline
- Compliance Manual
- Completion Certificate & Wallet Cards / ID card
- Attendance Log / Sign-In Form
- Employee Quiz and Answer Key
- Confined entry safety supplemental printouts

Course Outcomes

After completing this training, workers will be certified in the OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA and should be able to use sound judgment and work within confined spaces safely.

Who should take this course?

Confined Space Entry Training Course Video

Features

USB/DVD:

Physical product shipped to you. (Choice of USB or DVD)
Great for in-persona classroom training.
Unlimited use for entire organization.
Printable documentation for course included.

Streaming:

Great for in-person and virtual classroom training.
Unlimited use by 1 trainer/supervisor to train entire organization.
Convenient immediate access (no physical product is shipped).
Printable documentation for course included.
Auto-Renewal to alleviate the hassle of remembering to renew.

OSHA uses the term “permit-required confined space” (permit space) to describe a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.

Confined Space Entry Training Class Topic Overview:

Contents of OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA
Confined space definition
Hazards of confined spaces
Confined space entry procedures
Training for entrants, attendants and supervisors
Acute or chronic effects of working in confined spaces
Permit-required confined spaces
Emergency rescue from confined spaces
Personal Protective Equipment in Confined Spaces

Our easy-to-use video kit provides all the necessary materials for running successful training, including:

20-minute Confined Entry for Construction Safety Training Video written by industry professionals
Confined Entry for Construction PowerPoint Presentation for classroom use

OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA compliant content
Printable documents, including:
- Training outline
- Compliance Manual
- Completion Certificate & Wallet Cards / ID card
- Attendance Log / Sign-In Form
- Employee Quiz and Answer Key
- Confined entry safety supplemental printouts

Course Outcomes

After completing this training, workers will be certified in the OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA and should be able to use sound judgment and work within confined spaces safely.

Who should take this course?

The following are previews of the Confined Space Entry Safety Training videos:

Confined Space Entry Training Video Kit

Confined Space Entry Training Class Topic Overview:

Contents of OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA
Confined space definition
Hazards of confined spaces
Confined space entry procedures
Training for entrants, attendants and supervisors
Acute or chronic effects of working in confined spaces
Permit-required confined spaces
Emergency rescue from confined spaces
Personal Protective Equipment in Confined Spaces

Our easy-to-use video kit provides all the necessary materials for running successful training, including:

20-minute Confined Entry for Construction Safety Training Video written by industry professionals
Confined Entry for Construction PowerPoint Presentation for classroom use

OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA compliant content
Printable documents, including:
- Training outline
- Compliance Manual
- Completion Certificate & Wallet Cards / ID card
- Attendance Log / Sign-In Form
- Employee Quiz and Answer Key
- Confined entry safety supplemental printouts

Course Outcomes

After completing this training, workers will be certified in the OSHA Standard 1926 Subpart AA and should be able to use sound judgment and work within confined spaces safely.

Who should take this course?

Posted on August 3, 2020August 20, 2021 by TMullins — Leave a comment

Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is impacting every industry and business across the world. As a result, many workplaces are being forced to change policies and searching for the best methods to keep their business running smoothly during COVID-19 outbreaks. National Safety Compliance has formatted the Occupational Safety and Health Associations recommendations into a handy booklet titled OSHA: Preparing Workplaces For COVID-19 for easy use by business owners and trainers.

Some businesses are affected by the interruption of supplies and deliveries from other geographic areas, while others are experiencing absenteeism as many workers are home sick, caring for loved ones, or unable to work due to being at-risk or fearful of potential exposure. Most are seeing a change in patterns of commerce as consumer interest increases in items used for infection prevention and shopping habits change to reduce person-to-person contact.

While it is not possible to entirely stop these consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers can reduce the effect it has on their business, workers, customers, and the public by planning and preparing for traditional infection prevention and industrial hygiene practices. They can do so by implementing engineering, administration, personal protective equipment (PPE), and work practice controls. Giving employees COVID-19 safety training and implementing COVID safe work practices can significantly reduce the impact and spread of COVID in your workplace.

These methods may change as new information becomes available. COVID-19 outbreak conditions change and evolve, making it vital that employers keep up with new information on the transmission and impacts of the virus. They should consistently be mindful of potential risks in the workplace and any new control measures to enforce.

Employers should continually remind themselves and others to stay home from work if symptoms of COVID-19 appear. These symptoms include cough, fever, and shortness of breath and they will appear between 2 and 14 days after exposure. Employers cannot rely on symptoms alone, as many people are asymptomatic, meaning they experience no symptoms at all.

People are most contagious when their symptoms are at their worst, but it is possible for the virus to spread before any symptoms show. It is thought to spread mainly from people in close contact with one another through respiratory droplets that are inhaled or land in another’s mouth or nose.

OSHA: Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

How Employers Can Reduce Workers’ Risk of Exposure

To reduce the risk of exposure, follow these basic steps:

Develop an Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan:

Develop a guide on protective actions against COVID-19 that incorporates recommendations from state and local health agencies. This should address the need for social distancing, exposure-reducing measures, and controls necessary to address those risks.

Prepare to Implement Basic Infection Prevention Measures:

This should place an emphasis on employers enforcing basic infection prevention and implementing good hygiene and infection control practices. This includes encouraging workers to stay home when sick, practicing frequent disinfection, respiratory etiquette, and not using others’ workspaces.

Develop Policies and Procedures for Prompt Identification and Isolation of Sick:

Employers should inform on symptoms and develop policies for employees to self-monitor for symptoms. Any confirmed cases of the virus should be isolated from the worksite and their workspace should be marked off with a temporary barrier.

Develop, Implement, and Communicate about Workplace Flexibilities and Protections:

Encourage employees to stay home when sick by allowing leave policies to be flexible, developing non-punitive leave policies, and not requiring a note from a healthcare provider. This also includes being understanding about workers taking care of sick family members, being aware of their health and safety concerns, and working with insurance companies on providing information about medical care in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Implement Workplace Controls:

To eliminate the hazards a combination of control measures including engineering controls, administrative controls, and safe work practices is necessary to effectively protect workers from exposure.

Different Forms of Control:

Engineering Controls: Isolate employees from work-related hazards where appropriate to avoid relying on worker behavior. These can include high-efficiency air filters, ventilation rates, and physical barriers.

Administrative Controls: This includes any changes in workplace policy and procedures that reduce exposure to a hazard like minimizing contact, establishing alternating shifts, and providing workers with up-to-date training and education on COVID-19.

Safe Work Practices: Administrative control that include procedures for safe and proper work to reduce the duration and frequency of exposure to a hazard by providing resources on personal hygiene, requiring regular handwashing, and supplying disinfectants. This can also be done with Coronavirus awareness training and awareness classes to further educate your employees on COVID-19 safety.

Personal Protective Equipment: PPE like gloves, goggles, face shields, and masks should be used in addition to, rather than in place of, the above workplace controls to prevent certain exposures. Make sure to provide PPE Safety Training if needed.

Classifications of Exposure

Worker risk of occupational exposure to COVID-19 is classified into very high, high, medium, or lower (caution) risk. The risk level is determined by the industries’ need for workers to be within 6 feet of someone suspected of being infected.

This helps employers determine the appropriate precautions for their workplace depending on which category they fall into.

Very High Exposure Risk:

These employees have the highest potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of COVID-19. This can include healthcare workers performing procedures on COVID-19 patients, laboratory personnel collecting specimens from patients, or morgue workers performing autopsies on the bodies of those known to have COVID-19 at the time of their death. Employers for very high exposure risk jobs should require all forms of engineering controls, administrative controls, and all safe work practices available, as well as all PPE including respirators.

High Exposure Risk:

These employees are at a high risk of exposure because they are in direct contact with suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19. This includes those working with COVID-19 patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency response facilities. Employers of high exposure risk workers should follow the same guidelines as those given to very high exposure risk, though this is only a recommendation instead of a requirement.

Medium Exposure Risk:

These are people in a workforce who are required to be in close contact with other people who may be exposed including their co-workers. This includes places with ongoing community transmission, travel, and contact with the public in settings like schools, food processing, and high-volume retail centers. Employers for medium risk exposure workers should install physical barriers like sneeze guards, offer face masks to employees and customers, keep informed on symptoms of COVID-19 and not allow anyone experiencing those symptoms in the workplace, limit public access to only certain places, minimize face-to-face contact and select a combination of PPE to protect workers specific to their workplace.

Low Risk (Caution):

The majority of American’s make up this category with jobs that don’t require any contact with the public or any suspected of being infected, in addition, this means minimal contact with coworkers and the public. Employers for workers within this category should follow safety protocols and basic steps to reduce the risk of exposure and they are not recommended to require any additional engineering control or PPE other than what is required by the CDC and state and local laws.

Employees Living or Travelling Abroad

Businesses with employees traveling internationally or living abroad take on a different set of risks not associated with any one level. To combat these risks, employers should communicate to workers abroad that travel into or out of a country may not be possible or medically advisable due to COVID-19 outbreak conditions.

Employees abroad also need to be aware that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) cannot provide Americans traveling or living abroad with medications or supplies. It is likely that governments will respond to an outbreak by imposing public health measures that restrict domestic and international movement, meaning that the U.S. government’s ability to assist Americans in these countries would be even more limited.

For more information to further educate yourself on international travel during an outbreak, consult the section of OSHA’s website on “Business Travelers”, consult CDC travel warnings, and DOS travel advisories.

Assistance and Services

Staying informed on the latest developments and recommendations is critical for employees because specific guidance may change based on new information that arises. Follow federal, state, and local government agencies for communication on guidelines that apply to you in your area.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers have the responsibility to provide safe work environments for their employees. OSHA helps ensure that health and safety standards are enforced for all of America’s working men and women by setting proper guidelines and providing training, education, and assistance.

Additional OSHA Services:

Compliance Assistance Specialists: They work to provide information to employers on OSHA standards with educational programs and information on compliance assistance resources.
No-Cost On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Services for Small Business: Offer confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses with priority to high-hazard worksites.
Cooperative Programs: Allows businesses and labor groups to work cooperatively with OSHA.
Strategic Partnerships and Alliances: Provides a chance for OSHA to partner with employers, associations, labor organizations, and others to develop tools and resources to share with workers to educate on their rights and responsibilities.
Voluntary Protection Programs: The VPP recognizes those who have effectively implemented safety and health programs in the private sector and federal agencies.
Occupational Safety and Health Training: Delivers courses on OSHA standards and health and safety topics to students.
OSHA Educational Materials: OSHA has many materials to assist workers in finding and preventing any hazards including QuickTakes, newsletters, and publications.

To help further educate your employees, National Safety Compliance offers health and safety posters on 5 steps to stop COVID-19 spread, hand washing, respirator safe use, protecting yourself and others, answering novel coronavirus questions, and determining the difference between social distancing, quarantine, and isolation.

Order our booklet Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 for a complete outline of everything you need to know about keeping your employees and workplace safe, efficient, and compliant according to current OSHA guidelines. These low-cost booklets will receive an automatic bulk discount in your cart when you buy 10 or more.

As mentioned earlier, we also have an Infectious Disease Training Program to help employers train for COVID-19 and future pandemics, which was newly created for Summer 2020. This program is available on DVD, USB, or via Instant Digital Access. It includes a trainer’s guide, compliance manual, PowerPoint presentation, employees quizzes, answer keys, supplemental documents, completion certificates, and wallet cards. These documents are all in digital form, so employers can print them for as many employees as they need at no additional costs.

National Safety Compliance is dedicated to helping employers identify and amend any job hazards to improve their safety and health programs. Our safety training programs are designed to help employers comply with their responsibilities under OSHA regulations and substantially reduce the number and severity of workplace illnesses. If you have any questions, please call us a 877-992-7233, reach us by e-mail at sales@nscemail.com, or comment below.

Posted on July 20, 2020August 20, 2021 by TMullins — Leave a comment

Training Employees on Safe Disinfecting Procedures for 2020

With COVID-19 still on the forefront, many businesses continue to search for the best methods of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting in order to keep their doors open to customers and employees. As more chemical cleaning products are used, it continues to be important to train employees on chemical safety and potential hazards involved with their use.

Disinfectant use is soaring across the country, but many businesses have not provided training for employees to safely use these chemicals. Disinfectants can react with incompatible chemicals and even possibly cause health problems for employees. It is important to properly train employees to avoid creating additional safety risks. Proper training should meet or exceed current OSHA guidelines for using cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfectants.

Identifying health hazards and implementing training and resources for employees is a big responsibility. As you train current employees or new hires, it is easier to stay compliant by not placing all the burden on one individual. The use of HAZCOM safety training kits, safety data sheets informational posters, and signage can ease the process while training multiple employees with just one kit.

Training kits come in a variety of formats including instant digital download in English or Spanish and via online training module, also in English or Spanish. This is helpful due to ever-changing regulations surrounding maintaining a safe work environment during this time.

Once your employees have the proper training, it is important to keep the information readily available. Your workplace will also need Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for easy access to the information. These should be stored in an SDS binder in a Right-to-Know center. Right-to-Know centers are used to store all your chemical sheets in one location with easy access to all employees.

Proper Methods for Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting

While cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting sound like they are all synonyms for one another, they are different terms that serve different purposes. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines these things as the following: Cleaning simply removes dirt, in general these products are less hazardous. Sanitizers work to remove specific microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Disinfectants then destroy or inactivate microorganisms that cause these infections.

It is important to keep these purposes in mind to properly complete each of these tasks. For example, just cleaning in a hospital wouldn’t do much good to eliminate the spread of diseases which makes disinfectants critical for the control of infectious diseases in hospitals and healthcare settings.

Different environments require different methods for cleaning and disinfecting depending on public health codes. Some codes may require the use of all these methods. For instance, some restaurants will require toilets and food preparation areas be cleaned and sanitized.

While cleaning doesn’t disinfect, this is a step that cannot be skipped. Cleaning should still be utilized by all businesses, especially frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, light switches and tables. To practice proper cleaning, simply clean all surfaces with soap and water. This reduces the number of germs, dirt and contaminations on the surface. This should be done before disinfecting to make it more effective.

While cleaning does eliminate some of the germs and infections, it does not remove enough to be solely used. It must be accompanied by proper disinfection. Disinfectants can be more dangerous, especially if you fail to follow the directions on the label of the particular cleaning supplies you are using. You should also be mindful of protecting your skin and eyes from any potential splashes, ensure adequate ventilation in the area you are using it, and label the products.

Using Different Methods for Different Materials and Areas

Just like the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, there are also big differences in the methods for different materials. This is especially important in businesses like hotels, nursing homes, restaurants, banks and a variety of other institutions where there is heavy foot traffic and a variety of things to clean. Everything from the sheets on beds to cloth napkins on the tables to flooring and devices. Each of these items needs to be cleaned and disinfected according to their specific directions in order for it to be sanitized effectively. This includes;

Laundry: Do not shake out any infected linens, towels or sheets. Simply place them in washing machine on the warmest setting. Then disinfect any hampers or baskets they may have come in contact with.
Soft surfaces: Rugs, carpets, drapes and other fabric materials can be cleaned with soap and water or laundered according to the manufacturer’s instructions and then be disinfected with an EPA-registered disinfectant.
Electronic devices: Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to clean and disinfect any tablet, touch screen, keyboard or any other electronic device. Or simply use 70% alcohol-based wipes or spray.

Before cleaning any of these potentially infected items, be sure to put on the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). This should include a mask and gloves so that you remain safe from infection and chemical hazards.

Safety Precautions to Take While Cleaning

While cleaning seems like a harmless task, there are many potential health problems that can be caused by cleaning chemicals when they are not properly used. This can include irritation of the skin and eyes, trouble breathing that can trigger asthma attacks and in extreme cases, even severe lung damage and death.

To avoid this, employees should be mindful of the ingredients of the cleaning products, how to properly store the product, ventilating the area the product is being used to clean, and avoiding any splashes or mists so not to come into contact with skin.

One of the best ways to initiate safer cleaning is by choosing safer cleaning chemicals and training on how to use them safely. Hazcom Safety Data Sheets are an important tool for learning which chemicals are the safest. These inform employees on the chemical ingredients, potential health problems, and recommended procedures for spills or exposure.

Right-to-Know centers help facilities comply with federal, state and municipal regulations by addressing the education and training requirements on chemical hazards. The centers allow employers to provide easy access to important SDS chemical sheets to help meet OSHA’s Right-to-Know standards.

Employers must also provide worker training on the health and safety hazards that come with using chemical products. This training should be completed by each employee before they ever interact with any chemicals in order to ensure that they understand all of the standards on the proper handling, use, storage, and proper procedures for using chemicals and the required PPE.

All employees should also have a clear understanding they are expected to use cleaning chemicals only for their intended use, never mix them together and always wash their hands while working with the products.

In addition to the basics of the use of PPE, your employees need to be trained on how to properly put their PPE on and take it off. Safe removal and cleaning of the PPE can be the difference between remaining healthy and catching an infectious disease.

Detailed training is necessary for employers to maintain a healthy work environment. If employees miss one lesson in their training, it can put the health of all your employees and customers at risk. To minimize this risk, National Safety Compliance offers a variety of training kits to simplify the process for you.

Employers are required to provide training to their employees at a level and in a language they understand. For this reason, National Safety Compliance offers products that are bilingual and written concisely so all of your employees will be able to easily comprehend and understand the training. To best serve you and your business, all of National Safety Compliance’s Hazard Communication Training Kits are available on DVD, USB, via Instant Digital Access, or Online Training Module. COVID-19 Safety Training Posters, Safety Data Sheet Binders and Right-to-Know centers can also be found here in the OSHA Safety Training store.

Posted on June 3, 2020August 20, 2021 by TMullins — Leave a comment

Updated OSHA Guidelines for Reopening Employers

UPDATE: Our Complete Infectious Disease Control Training Program Is Now Available

States are beginning to revive their economies; businesses are reopening, and employees are returning to work. As we begin this shift forward it is important to be mindful of all guidelines provided by OSHA and state and local guidelines regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). OSHA has just released updates to its latest industry-specific COVID-19 guidance.

With each passing week we know more about COVID-19 and are able to create improved, specific guidelines for businesses reopening. Each updated guideline is vital to the health and safety of your employees.

While reopening the workplace after COVID-19 reconfiguring your workplace according to these new guidelines can be the difference between keeping a healthy work environment and having an outbreak in your office.

The rate of new cases, hospitalizations and fatalities are currently decreasing throughout the country due to the steps our government has taken in accordance with OSHA’s guidelines to protect employees. Moving forward, we must continue to follow such guidelines if we want to see this decrease last.

OSHA is working to ensure businesses perform COVID-19 employee training and enforce safe working conditions for those returning to work in order to continue to slow down the virus’s spread as we adapt to new ways of doing business. Their Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for COVID-19 provides the current instruction for eliminating health hazards.

This plan lays out the framework for areas that the spread of the disease has significantly decreased to return to their original inspection planning policy while still prioritizing COVID-19 cases and utilizing the appropriate precautions and equipment.

For areas where OSHA has seen an increase or resurgence of the transmission of COVID-19 they will utilize available resources according to cases with fatalities and imminent danger exposures and attempt to perform remote inspections with the intention of later performing an on-site portion of the inspection when resources become available.

General Enforcement Guidance Changes

Rapid Response Investigations (RRI):

Work-related fatalities must be reported to OSHA within eight hours
In-patient hospitalizations, amputation or losses of an eye must be reported within 24 hours
Any fatalities that occur within 30 days of a work-related incident must be reported within 24 hours
The Area Director (AD) will then determine if an inspection or RRI needs to be conducted
RRI will identify hazards, provide abatement assistance and confirm abatement

Process of AD Evaluations

The potential risk of exposure at the workplace must be determined by the AD prior to an inspection so their resources can be prioritized effectively
In instances where the AD feels an inspection is warranted, Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) must then evaluate any hazards and limit exposure
CSHOs should avoid interference with the provision of ongoing medical services
CSHOs must report any potential exposure to their supervisor and AD

Specific Guidance for COVID-19 Enforcement

Discerning when to exercise enforcement can be a difficult task. These specific guidelines aid you in this process and will help you gain a better understanding of the inspection and citation guidance.

Your workplace risk level is a big factor, it is important to understand which of these your workplace falls into in order to better understand OSHA’s guidelines and how they apply to you specifically.

High exposure: These employees are at the highest risk of exposure because they are in direct contact with suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19. This includes those working with COVID-19 patients in hospitals, nursing homes and emergency response facilities.
Medium exposure: These are people in a workforce who are required to be in close contact with other people who may be exposed including their co-workers. This includes places with ongoing community transmission, travel and contact with the public in settings like schools, food processing and high-volume retail centers.
Low exposure: These jobs don’t require any contact with the public or any suspected of being infected, in addition, this means minimal contact with coworkers.

These levels of exposure and risk are now becoming OSHA’s focus because they are no longer divided between being essential and non-essential as the world begins to reopen. Response to complaints will be based on case-specific facts and resource limitations. Any cases with fatalities, imminent danger or life-critical activities will have an on-site inspection.

In order to be in compliance with these new guidelines Area Offices should follow the modified procedures below:

The AD should prioritize resources and consider all detail in COVID-19 cases with fatalities and imminent danger to discern if it is better to perform a remote investigation instead of being on site. Area Offices will assist employers with this process by directing them to the documents on protective measures.
Places with insufficient resources will be initiated remotely and when resources are available the on-site portion of the inspection will be conducted using a program developed by OSHA.
Depending on the discretion of the AD, non-formal procedures can sufficiently address alleged hazards unless the communication via phone or fax is inadequate.
RRI will handle any cases with work-related hospitalizations by referring to the procedures set in the OSHA Memorandum on RRIs.
The status and condition of work operations should document any serious hazards, conditions of exposure and any information indicative of the likelihood of exposure.

The Specifics of Inspections and Procedures

Workplaces with a high exposure risk are the focus of inspections in response to COVID-19 and it is up to the AD to determine whether to conduct an on-site or remote inspection. These inspections are meant to confirm that they are up to date on the most recent guidelines from both the CDC and OSHA.

In inspections CSHOs are looking to ensure that the facility is adequately trained in healthcare specific to their office and employees. They will look at individual characteristics and underlying conditions that are known to increase the risk for complications with COVID-19 including; being over 65, having a history of smoking, being immunosuppressed or having medical conditions that would further the complications of the disease.

During the inspection, it is expected for the CSHO to be provided with any equipment and decontamination supplies they may need for the materials that they bring on site. Any reusable PPE must be cleaned on site or properly bagged to be cleaned later.

They will still follow the same inspection procedures as previously outlined. Instead of making any big changes to the outline, it has been updated and made more specific.

Modifications to Procedure:

Opening Conference: CSHOs should take all necessary precautions to access the location for a formal interview without being exposed to locations with confirmed or suspected cases. Conferences can instead be accessed on the phone, in uncontaminated offices or outdoors.
Program and Document: Before attempting an inspection on-site CSHOs should take many steps outlined on OSHA’s website including ensuring the employer has a pandemic plan outlined, has reviewed their hazard assessment and protocols and determining if the facility has airborne infection.
Walkaround: CSHOs should determine which rooms are safe to walk through and should never enter a patient’s room or treatment areas. Photographs or videos should be used for air documentation only and pictures should never be taken of patients.
Compliance Officer Protection: CSHOs are encouraged to get COVID-19 vaccinations if and when they become available as well as the seasonal influenza vaccine. The minimum level of respiratory protection for CSHOs a fit half-mark with at least an N95 rated filter, goggles or face shields, disposable gloves and disposable gowns.

Safety Practices During Inspections: CSHOs Should not enter rooms with COVID-19 patients or rooms with airborne infection. They must wash their hands with soap and water after each inspection after removing gloves.
Applicable OSHA Standards: CSHOs must rely on specific facts and findings for each case.
Observation of Hazards: If there are no violations of OSHA’s standards the CSHO should end the inspection and immediately leave.
Citation Guidance: Violations of OSHA standards will be classified as serious.
General Duty Clause: If CSHOs observe violations to OSHA’s standards they should then obtain evidence of the potential violation that shows the employer failed to keep the workplace free of hazards, the hazard was recognized, had the potential to cause death or serious physical harm and there was a possible method to correct the hazard.

Use of CDC recommendations: The most current guidance should be used to assess the employer’s protective measures. When this is not the case, CSHOs should determine if the employees are exposed as a result of the hazard.
Citation Review: The citation will be reviewed with the Regional Administrator and National Office before issuance.

Guidance for OSHA Standards

Beyond all of these specific guidelines and standards for inspections, the main thing CSHOs are trying to determine is if the employer is making true efforts towards ensuring the safety of their workers and taking proper coronavirus employer precautions. This includes eliminating workplace hazards, prioritizing efforts to acquire and use equipment that has not exceeded its shelf life and using homemade masks only as a last resort.

To ensure that you are successfully meeting these guidelines as an employer you should reconfigure the workplace to follow these guidelines, designate a workplace safety coordinator to oversee COVID polices, train employees on cleaning and disinfecting procedures and clearly communicate practices and policies on disease.

At National Safety Compliance, we have a Pandemic Training Course coming soon, please sign up for our newsletter if you would like to know when that is available. We also have COVID-19 safety training posters available.

To view the entire list of guidelines from OSHA, click here.

If you have any questions about the new guidelines for COVID-19, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us using the chat function on our site, e-mail us at sales@nscemail.com or call us at 877-922-7233.

Posted on April 13, 2020August 20, 2021 by TMullins — 5 Comments

Minimizing COVID-19 Exposure In The Workplace

Best Practices for COVID-19 in the Workplace

UPDATE:Our Complete Infectious Disease Control Training Program Is Now Available

Are you taking these precautions to help workers stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic?

There are thousands of workplaces still operating – many at peak capacity – during the coronavirus pandemic. These include food production facilities, warehouses, shipping companies, hospitals, physician offices and factories producing much-needed medical equipment like ventilators and protective masks. Many others are looking at what practices to implement when they return to work from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Here are some COVID-19 best practices and training tips that will help mitigate risk factors in your workplace. If you already have a robust pandemic safety and training program, these recommendations can make it even stronger.

What is COVID-19?

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As of April 14^th, it has already infected more than 588,300 people in the U.S., causing nearly 25,000 deaths.

Some business owners already have pandemic safety training plans in place for influenza outbreaks, but this crisis requires additional COVID-19 safety training in accordance with labor law best practices for coronavirus safety.

Symptoms of COVID-19

The most common symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. But an estimated 25% (perhaps even more) of infected people may not exhibit any symptoms at all. These people can nonetheless still spread the disease.

According to the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure.

How COVID-19 Spreads

People can get COVID-19 by being in close proximity to an active carrier or by touching a surface that has the virus on it, then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.

Impact On The Workplace

The potential for workplace coronavirus is already having these effects on businesses across America:

Greater absenteeism – Some workers can’t report because they have the illness, while others are caregivers for children in locations where schools and daycare centers have been closed.

Reduced or altered hours – Some businesses (like grocery stores) are reducing hours of operation so that facilities can be sanitized overnight.

The Importance Of Communication

American workers are both frightened and confused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Company-wide communication can bring calm and clarity. For example, The Department of Labor has created a fact sheet about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that gives all federal workers greater paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave during the COVID-19 crisis.

Establishing A Response Plan

If your organization doesn’t currently have an infectious disease preparedness plan, now is the time to implement one. Pandemic training can help business owners and managers deal with the current outbreak and any future ones.

Key considerations include:

Determining where and how workers might get exposed to COVID-19 at your site

Assessing your workers’ risk factors (e.g., age, chronic health conditions, pregnancy, etc.)

Discovering whether coronavirus handwashing best practices are being followed

Developing a plan for higher rates of worker absenteeism

Determining which employees have the ability to work remotely

Implementing multiple shifts or staggered hours to reduce the number of employees working at any given time

Cross-training employees to cover the duties of those who are ill or providing childcare

Preventive Measures To Minimize Infection

These recommendations can greatly reduce the rate of infection:

Advise employees to stay home if they’re feeling ill

Provide all employees with places to wash their hands with soap and hot water

Train workers in cough and sneeze etiquette (covering a cough or sneeze to prevent airborne transmission)

Distribute hand sanitizers at numerous locations in the workplace

Reorganize workflow to allow for social distancing of six feet between workers

Use disinfectant products to frequently clean desktops, work areas, computer keyboards, etc.

Discourage employees for using other workers’ computers or tools

Encourage employees to wear gloves, protective face masks or bandanas if appropriate

Modifying The Workplace

Infection rates can also be reduced by augmenting the workplace with:

High-efficiency air filters
Sneeze guards
Drive-through windows for customer service

Additional Resources On COVID-19 Exposure In The Workplace

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the latest information about COVID-19: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also provides COVID-19 updates at www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/.

Your Most Trusted Safety Compliance Resource

If you need help with any type of safety compliance training, National Safety Compliance can help. We offer hundreds of safety training resources for all industries, such as our DVD, USB, or Digital Access Safety Training Kits which empower employers to train all of their employees at one low cost, our safety training and labor law posters, and our Online Training Courses that can be assigned to employees remotely.