Flash: Cal/OSHA Receiving Thousands of COVID Complaints
Amid employee concerns about the availability of PPE, DOSH’s deputy chief tries to clarify employer responsibilities. Cal-OSHA Reporter
Crisis raises questions about Fed-OSHA
Since March 1, Fed-OSHA reportedly has fielded more than 1,800 virus-related complaints and more than 50 employer-reported cases. The Washington Post reported last week that the agency has received 3,000 such complaints since January. Fed-OSHA says it has existing enforcement tools it is using to help address worker protections against COVID-19, but the agency is facing criticism it isn’t doing enough to protect employee safety during the pandemic. USA Today [with video]
Iowa governor confirms suspected outbreak at meatpacking plant
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds last week acknowledged a suspected coronavirus outbreak at a Waterloo meatpacking plant, which has nearly 3,000 employees. By the state’s definition, an Iowa business is the center of an outbreak when 10 percent or greater of the company’s employees are reporting COVID-19 symptoms that include fever, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing or any other respiratory symptom. Des Moines Register
Utah business owner accused of selling fake medical masks
A Utah business owner says a Homeland Security agent agent seized hundreds of protective masks he was trying to sell on grounds they weren’t legitimate. Local law enforcement says federal agents from several different agencies have been ordered to investigate claims of price-gouging. KSL (Salt Lake City)
Fed-OSHA recommends face shield and homemade mask for workers
Fed-OSHA recently issued an interim enforcement response plan to protect employees during the pandemic. The most important message is that the agency is aware of ongoing shortages of PPE and knows that companies are making “good faith” efforts to supply workers with what they need, writes Dan Davis. The Fabricator
AI developed to monitor social distancing on jobsites
Earlier this month, the artificial intelligence company Smartvid.io unveiled a new feature for its interface that will be able to monitor construction workers’ level of compliance with the advised social distancing protocols as a virtual safety inspector. Safety inspectors can either watch the footage in real-time or from recorded photos and videos, allowing their surveillance to be carried out beyond typical working hours. The Architect’s Newspaper
Carpenters union seeking to shut down construction sites in Massachusetts
Early this month the Carpenters Union instructed its members to stay home, after warning them of “abnormally dangerous” conditions at construction sites throughout Massachusetts, even with the efforts to follow social distancing practices and specialized safety procedures. Framingham Source
Four new resources available for providers searching for available PPE
The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living has supplied four new resources, applicable to all long term care providers, on Fed-OSHA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on critically low or unavailable personal protective equipment. Provider
How UV light may protect us from the coronavirus
Ultraviolet germicidal radiation, which is already used in hospitals to disinfect contaminated surfaces, is one of the methods presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to potentially disinfect single-use face masks. Los Angeles Times