Question:  I am concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus at work. What should my employer be doing to protect me?
Answer: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19” on March 12, 2020. You can review the entire document here: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

1. Employers of workers with potential workplace exposures to coronavirus should:
   Assess the hazard and evaluate the risk of exposure;
2. Select, implement and ensure workers use controls to prevent exposure, including physical barriers to control the spread of the virus, social distancing, and appropriate personal protective equipment, hygiene and cleaning supplies.

Question:  How does OSHA determine how we should be protected?
Answer: OSHA has classified worker exposure RISK into four categories: very high, high, medium and lower risk.  Basically, very high and high are for healthcare and mortuary workers, and at this juncture, almost all other workers are considered either medium or lower risk.

Lower risk jobs are those that do not require contact with people known to be, or suspected of being, infected with the coronavirus, nor frequent close contact with the general public. According to OSHA, no special or additional protections are required for these workers.

Medium exposure jobs include those that require frequent (within 6 feet of) and/or close contact with people who may be infected with coronavirus,  but are not known or suspected COVID-19 patients. OSHA advises that employers can:

1. Install physical barriers, such as clear plastic sneeze guards, where feasible.
2. Consider offering face masks to ill employees and customers to contain respiratory secretions until they are able leave the workplace (i.e., for medical evaluation/care or to return home). In the event of a shortage of masks, a reusable face shield that can be decontaminated may be an acceptable method of protecting against droplet transmission.
3. Keep customers informed about symptoms of COVID-19 and ask sick customers to minimize contact with workers until healthy again, such as by posting signs about COVID-19 in stores where sick customers may visit (e.g., pharmacies) or including COVID-19 information in automated messages sent when prescriptions are ready for pick up.
4. Where appropriate, limit customers’ and the public’s access to the worksite, or restrict access to only certain workplace areas.
5. Consider strategies to minimize face-to-face contact (e.g., drive-through windows, phone-based communication, telework).
6. Communicate the availability of medical screening or other worker health resources (e.g., on-site nurse; telemedicine services).
7. Workers with medium exposure risk may need to wear some combination of gloves, a gown, a face mask, and/or a face shield or goggles. PPE ensembles for workers in the medium exposure risk category will vary by work task, the results of the employer’s hazard assessment, and the types of exposures workers have on the job.

NOTE: The guidance states that there may be some “rare” situations that would require  a non-healthcare worker in this risk category  (those working within 6 feet of patients known to be, or suspected of being, infected) to use an N-95 respirator.

The reality is this: CDC and OSHA changed their guidelines last week due the severe N-95 respirator shortage around the world. The N-95 respirators are now being recommended for use only by healthcare workers who are dealing with sick patients – we just don’t have enough at this time. The union will continue to argue that more N-95s should be made available for those who are in direct and prolonged contact with suspect or infected individuals, but at this time, we don’t know what the outcome will be in this very fluid situation.  

Question: What else should I do to protect myself  and my loved ones from getting infected?
Answer: Those precautions remain the same:

1. Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If not available, use and alcohol-based hand rub that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

For other general information about coronavirus, go to www.cdc.gov, or the New York City website, www.nyc.gov, or to your employer’s page for employees. 

If you have any questions about worker protections,  contact Susan McQuade, Health and Safety Coordinator, at smcquade@local237.org.