Page 56 - OHS, November/December 2020

FACILITY SAFETY
Incorporating COVID-19 Protections into Ongoing Workplace Safety Programs
In a post-COVID world, organizations must develop policies rooted in evidenced- based solutions that foster a safer workplace and drive cost savings.
BY MOHANNAD KUSTI, M.D., M.P.H.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for countless aspects of society. Many corners of our world and our economy were unprepared and left scrambling to respond. As our collective response to the pandemic has evolved, the workplace has become a key testing ground for creating safe and effective protocols to protect workers on the job and society at large.
Employers have stepped up in a big way, committing to learning and dedicating significant resources to protecting efforts in the wake of COVID-19. Almost overnight, HR professionals, facility managers, C-suite executives and other company leaders found themselves working to become experts in infectious disease control management. It was not a fair or ideal situation, but for many companies—in particular companies deemed essential—it was a necessary first step toward building a robust and effective COVID-19 response.
Organizations with stronger foundations in workplace health and safety were better prepared in some respects. That groundwork in keeping workers safe on the job has been invaluable as companies have worked to build a new normal that incorporates COVID-19 precautions into a sustained workplace health and safety program, and the stakes remain tremendously high. As companies scale up operations, COVID-19 still poses a significant threat to employee
health and employer bottom lines. COVID-19 is poised to drive $81 billion in increased workers’ compensation claims for U.S. employers.1
A New Hazard with Familiar Safety Protocols
The reality is, much of society’s collective COVID-19 response—on the job and off—is built on fundamental principles that will be immediately familiar to safety professionals. They will recognize the significant impact these controls can have, as well as many of the challenges that come with promoting and enforcing them. Essentially, COVID-19 precautions come down to four common health and safety protocols workplaces have been emphasizing for years:
Stay home if you are sick. It is a familiar refrain every flu season and standard policy at many organizations. Preventing sick individuals from spreading illness to others is critical, and comes with some workplace culture challenges. It means making temporary sacrifices to productivity and ensuring employees care more about slowing the spread of disease than looking tough or pushing through it.
Wear the appropriate PPE. Safety professionals probably are not surprised that some folks do not want to wear masks. From hard hats to goggles to respirators, occupational safety and health leaders are used to combining engagement and enforcement to get employees to wear the required PPE that will keep them safe.
Practice physical distancing. Keeping employees at a safe distance is also not a new concept. Forklift lanes and Designated Areas for fall protection gear are common safety precautions. For many safety professionals, engineering controls that keep employees out of harms ways are second nature.
Observe good hygiene practice. COVID-19 has amplified the importance of handwashing, but good hygiene is standard practice, from touchless bathroom fixtures to sanitizing workstations.
A New Health and Safety Mandate
Within this broad health and safety framework, health and safety leaders are responsible for tailoring the guidelines based on their industry, organization and employee population. For large companies, that may mean navigating the challenges of complying with varying local guidelines and regulations. For
50 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
www.ohsonline.com
Naumova Marina/Shutterstock.com