Healthcare

by Phil Molé, MPH On September 9, President Biden laid out a comprehensive plan to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including new requirements affecting millions of workers across the United States. Along with new vaccination mandates for healthcare workers, federal employees, and all contractors working with the federal government, Biden’s plan calls for OSHA to develop […]

It’s back-to-school time again for many students, and this year the usual stress for parents and teachers is amplified by safety concerns due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. School districts need to react to the changing reality of the pandemic, understand applicable regulations for recording and reporting COVID-19 cases, and understand the role of better […]

OSHA has issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect healthcare and healthcare support service workers from exposure to variants of the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The Federal Register published the ETS on June 21, 2021 and it became effective on the same date. This ETS comes shortly after OSHA also updated its […]

A structure fire that erupted yesterday at a chemical product manufacturing facility in Rockton, Illinois prompted a mandatory evacuation of surrounding communities, and resulted in the destruction of the facility and confirmed injury to at least one first responder at the time of this writing. According to local reports, multiple area firefighters received calls reporting […]

As if the past year and a half hasn’t been straining enough, the United States is now facing a shortage of employees to fill jobs across various industries, from manufacturing and hospitality to healthcare and education. For several reasons (all based around the COVID-19 pandemic), there are many more open positions in the U.S. right […]

Opioid misuse and addiction is an epidemic in the United States. But what does the opioid crisis have to do with ergonomics? National public health officials are responding to the opioid crisis by focusing on pain management and recovery services. But, VelocityEHS Director of Ergonomics Blake McGowan, CPE, said “There is a missing element to […]

On March 12, OSHA announced a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) on COVID-19 workplace safety, which is now in effect, as well as an updated Enforcement Response Plan (ERP). These new initiatives reveal OSHA’s latest priorities regarding protection of workplace health and safety, and reducing risk of employee COVID-19 exposure. Here, we’ll take a look […]

It’s that time of year again! Beginning today, February 1, employers in the United States covered by OSHA’s Recordkeeping Rule are required to post a signed copy of their Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses in a location accessible to employees. Despite this annual obligation, many employers forget to post their 300A or […]

Safety managers have many different workplace risks to assess and control, but they don’t always adequately identify and address psychosocial risks. These are sources of anxiety for workers that result from a multitude of factors including the ways that work is organized (e.g. length of shifts, numbers of consecutive days worked), ways that job tasks […]

As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the world infecting millions of people, the stress of contracting the virus combined with continued social distancing and isolation, working from home while caring for family members or assisting school-aged children with remote learning, or a job loss or reduced income, can all lead to burnout. The burden is […]