Right now, most employees who contract the Coronavirus are not able to file a worker’s compensation claim. Nurses, EMTs and retail workers are on the front lines. They deal with people who have the virus all day, every day. Yet they aren’t getting any real protection from their employers or the government. President Biden went a long way toward fixing this problem this week. In a new order handed down to OSHA, the President has demanded that they provide employers with clear guidelines on COVID-19 prevention.
Despite the fact that the virus has now been killing Americans since the beginning of last year, the OSHA safety and health standards have not changed.
Under this new program, entitled “Protecting Workers: Guidance in Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace,” companies will finally get written guidance. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be providing the guidelines to employers immediately.
These new guidelines are meant to help employers prevent the spread of COVID-19. It also discusses how the virus can be spread and what a person can do to protect themselves from infection. The new guidelines on COVID-19 prevention will also educate employers on how to purchase adequate personal protective equipment and how to train their employees on how to use it. It also advised the company on how much PPE is required for their business.
The new program will also offer guidelines on how to properly clean and disinfect the workplace. It will also educate employers on what they can do to make sure their workplace has ample ventilation, especially with this deadly virus going around.
If you believe you’ve contracted COVID-19 in the workplace, you may have a potential workers compensation claim. Contact one of our Ohio workers compensation attorneys as soon as possible so we can discuss your case.