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BEAT THE HEAT WITH WATER, REST AND SHADE

Summer is around the corner and temperatures are warming up, with many areas in the U.S. already feeling the heat!

• Drink water every 15 minutes
• Rest in a shaded area
• Monitor others well-being
• Wear wide brimmed hats
• Wear lightweight, breathable clothing
• Know what to do in case of emergency

• Download the attached Heat Illness Poster for your workplace
• Cleveland Clinic’s Article provides great in-depth explanations of each heat danger’s symptom and information
• Check out NSC’s Summer Safety Check List

• Read the article written by Sunz Insurance’s talented Risk Manager Jim Hanna, Working in Warm Climates, addressing heat stress, insect born diseases, and plant allergies
• National Safety Council’s articles on Surviving the Hot Weather & Insect Safety
• Planning for Acclimatization is covered in Safety+Health Magazine’s article Tackle Heat Stress Hazards
• OSHA’s Fact Sheet – Working Outdoors in Warm Climates
• Contact Vested HR for training material, procedures, and posters (English & Spanish)

Did you know?

RETURN-TO-WORK CONSIDERATIONS: HEALTH & SAFETY

Legal & regulatory update: COVID legal fallout

BY GORDON M. BERGER, ESQ. from May 2021 PEO Insider, edited for inVested use

As the nation remains cautiously optimistic that the various vaccines being administered to the population will be effective against COVID, some states are relaxing restrictions and many businesses are considering or have already reopened their offices. This article addresses health and safety issues associated with returning workers to work.

CDC RETURN-TO-WORK GUIDELINES

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages employees to prevent the spread of COVID. For instance, some precautions from the CDC include:

• Stay home when needed;
• Wash hands often;
• Cover coughs and sneezes; and
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.

OSHA CONSIDERATIONS

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has put out guidance for employers deemed by local authorities as “non-essential businesses.” In OSHA Phase 2 business reopening, businesses continue to make telework available if possible, but non-essential business travel can resume. Limitations on the number of people in the workplace can be eased, but employers should maintain moderate-to-strict social distancing practices, depending on the type of business. Employers should also continue to accommodate vulnerable workers as identified in Phase 1, meaning workers at higher risk of severe illness, including elderly workers and those with serious underlying health conditions.

OSHA recommends employers have formal reopening plans that include:

• Hazard assessment, including practices to determine when, where, how, and to what sources of COVID workers are likely to be exposed in the course of their job duties;
• Hygiene, including practices for hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and cleaning and disinfection;
• Social distancing—six feet of distance is a general rule of thumb, though social distancing practices may change as rates of community transmission of COVID and other criteria prompt communities to move through the reopening phases;
• Identification and isolation of sick employees, including practices for worker self-monitoring or screening, and isolating and excluding from the workplace any employees with signs or symptoms of COVID;
• Return to work after illness or exposure, including after workers recover from COVID or complete recommended self-quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID;
• Controls, including engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) selected as a result of an employer’s hazard assessment;