The COVID-19 has created numerous challenges for employees and their families, and protecting employees’ health is primary to protecting public health. All employees who are on the fieldwork during this pandemic, from emergency responders and frontline health care operators to those working in pharmacies, sanitation, supermarkets, factories, delivery, transportation, and other necessary workplaces, must be shielded from virus transmission. This in return will shield the public.
Indigenous employees, immigrants in tenuous employment conditions, temp employees, airport workers, employees in low-wage jobs, maintenance employees, retail and service employees, home care employees, and employees in the informal economy are at high risk. Spain is stating that 14% of the COVID-19 cases are of health care employees. This is because a lot of them were not provided with proper protection. Washington University has released a modeling prominence of the number of health care employees who could die in the US from this COVID-19 pandemic. The number of deaths could be as high as 277,957 or as low as 21,436.
Guidance For Employers to Protect the Employees
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have issued voluntary guidance for organizations on measures they can practice to protect the employees from COVID-19 transmission.
CDC and OSHA guidelines spell out explicit instructions to protect health care employees, which include the provision of gloves, face shields, respirator masks, and gowns, along with the rules for dealing with COVID infected patients to reduce transmission.
Guidance For the Safety of Employees
The OSHA and CDC have issued guidance for protecting essential employees. Here are some of the recommendations.
- Increase Physical Distancing: Physical distancing is the most crucial safety guideline for organizations to practice to protect the employees at the workplace. The distance between the two employees should be at least six feet.
- Wear Masks: On the 3rd April, CDC stated that “It is important to maintain social distancing of six feet or more to slow the spread of coronavirus.” CDC also advises using simple cloth face covers to prevent the spread of coronavirus. A lot of workplaces, like supermarkets where distancing of six feet is not always possible, are equipping the employees with plastic face shields and masks.
- Wash Hands Frequently: Organizations should encourage frequent and thorough washing of hands. They should also provide the customers, worksite visitors, and employees with a place for hand wash. If running water and soap are not available, then alcohol-based sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol should be provided.
Rights for Workplace Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Act gave organizations the responsibility to present a safe workplace for the employees. In the United States, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is the federal bureau in charge of ensuring the health and safety of employees. OSHA sets and emphasizes health standards and workplace safety to keep employees safe. OSHA law sets adaptable employees’ rights.
Conclusion
These are some of the guidelines and rights for the safety of employees at the workplace, in this COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations are legally responsible for the safety and health of the employees. Join the Compliance Prime webinar for more detailed information regarding the rights and resources for the safety of employees during COVID-19.
