New OSHA Guidelines and Enforcement For Re-Opening Your Business

As vaccinations continue to increase in availability and businesses start to re-open, it’s still as important as ever to ensure the safety of your workers, patrons, and their families. On March 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released new guidelines called the National Emphasis Program (NEP), which enforces COVID-19 guidelines, “on companies that put the largest number of workers at serious risk of contracting the coronavirus.” Here we’ll go over who’s affected and what to expect.

What Businesses Are Affected by NEP?

The main objective of the new NEP is to target enforcement resources on employers in the most high-risk, hazardous industries to ensure coronavirus safety guidelines are in place to keep workers and customers alike safe. This largely includes the medical industry as well as those that have previously been given “essential” status or, “workers who maintain critical business operations or would otherwise help to maintain a healthy work environment, and are likely to be at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.” The list includes:

 

Hospitals Healthcare providers Assisted living/nursing homes Home healthcare workers Food processing plants (e.g. meat packing) Warehousing

Grocery stores Restaurants Construction Department stores Prisons/jails Manufacturing Energy

 

What to Do if Your Business Falls into One of These Categories

The NEP is a direct reaction on OSHA’s part from an executive order issued on January 21 that aims to protect the health and safety of America’s workforce. If your company falls under any of these categories, it’s vital to take the new guidance seriously and be prepared for enforcement actions. 

1. Review the new directives here.
2. Be sure to stay up-to-date on the latest COVID-19 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3. Keep up your coronavirus cleaning measures, signage, and health & safety protocols.
4. Anticipate NEP inspections by OSHA, especially if you’ve been subject to accusations of unsafe working conditions in the past, or if you have already been inspected by OSHA during the pandemic.

Workplace Air Quality Testing and COVID-19 Surface Disinfection Is Vital as Businesses Open

Failing to follow OSHA’s guidelines or otherwise ignoring public health safety measures can land your business in hot water. As foot traffic starts to increase, be sure to diligently check air quality and schedule periodic coronavirus disinfection services — especially if somebody has tested positive in the workplace. 

Aftermath Services provides 24/7 coronavirus remediation nationwide. Our proprietary chemicals are approved by the EPA for efficacy against the viral cause of COVID-19 — and our verifiable surface testing is able to confirm that the virus has been eradicated on a microscopic level. COVID-19 is an extremely serious situation and we understand that the health and safety of you, your family, and employees are on the line. Contact us at 877- 695-7054 today to discuss our COVID-19 cleaning methods or to schedule an appointment.

Additional Resources

• COVID-19 Mitigation Guidelines by Industry
• The Truth About Fogging
• Sign up for CDC email updates