Trade Unions Calling on European Commission to Take More Action to Secure Workers’ Safety in Regards to COVID-19

Many companies are concerned that COVID-19 is not only a public-health issue but becoming an occupational health issue, as the workplace provides fertile ground for high transmission rates of the virus. If the European Union (EU) fails to guarantee workers’ health and safety, it will be more challenging to recover from the crisis. Trade unions are calling on the European Commission to formally recognize COVID-19 as an occupational disease. 

The European Trade Union Institute has provided evidence that the EU government is not doing enough to counter workplace risks from the pandemic, failing to provide adequate protective equipment for high-risk, front-line carers or implementing full safety measures for workers in healthcare, transport, retail, and other sectors. A survey on European Working Conditions found that people working from home are twice as likely to work 48 hours or more and six times more likely to work in their free time than others, which puts workers at a higher risk for anxiety to affect their mental health. About three in every five workers in the European Union report musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), based on data from the sixth European Working Conditions Survey.  This has led the EU-OSHA to launch a campaign to offer tools and resources to help employers tackle MSDs effectively at any workplace in Europe. The campaign highlights three priority areas focusing on MSDs prevention, facts and figures, and chronic conditions, which all cover a specific topic related to MSDs. 

The deputy general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation states that a new updated EU strategic framework should address many mobile and migrant workers’ living and working conditions in Europe. This will also ensure that employers fulfill their obligations to provide safe, hygienic workplaces and accommodations, with the EU-OSHA and the European Labour Authority. 

European OSHA Launches Free Online Risk Assessment Tool (OiRA) to Identify and Manage Risks

The European OSHA has updated their free online interactive risk assessment tool (OiRA) to help identify and manage risks that could contribute to safety and health hazard to workers in small and micro enterprises (SME) to protect their workers. The website lists several different tools for industries such as construction, butchers, bakeries, road transport, and tools for understanding and limiting the spread of COVID-19. 

Because manufacturing has a wide range of occupational safety and health risks, due to heavy machinery, exposure to substances, and ergonomic factors, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work along with the National Research and Safety Institute in France developed the OiRA tool to help businesses in the industry to follow health and safety guidelines required by legislation. The Belgian focal point held a successful introductory seminar on November 25th, 2020. The speakers discussed the risks present in the workspace and how to identify and manage them using OiRA. The Greek focal point, along with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA), will be hosting another seminar on December 8th in Athens to bring more awareness to OiRA and basic training about using the tools. 

OHSA Presents New COVID-19 Guidelines and Restrictions Addressing Workplace Ventilation and Safety for Employers

Throughout the pandemic this year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been criticized for lax regulations in several industries including meatpacking. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic through October 29th, 2020, OSHA has issued citations from 179 inspections for violations of work safety, and penalties totaling $2,496,768. Some of the violations include failure to: 

implement a written respiratory protection program, report an injury, illness, or fatality, provide medical evaluation, and training on the correct use of personal protective equipment. 

A complaint was filed in April describing the insufficient precautions at a Maid-Rite meatpacking plant in Dunmore, PA. The company failed to notify workers about the potential exposure to COVID, and OSHA designated that meatpacking facilities to be only “medium risk” and would not rush to conduct a formal inspection. Because of this OSHA has come under intense criticism this year, and a lawsuit from Maid-Rite was filed in July. 

In response to this, OSHA has issued guidance and a one-page document to help employers understand which regulations are cited most during coronavirus-related inspections. The guidance includes a description of the violations and available resources to better ensure that employers are adequately protecting workers. 

OSHA also published new guidance on ventilation in the workspace, which recommends that employers work with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals to improve ventilation in a building to lower the potential risk of COVID-19 exposure.  Some of the tips to improve ventilation that OSHA recommends includes:

• Encourage workers to stay home if they are sick

• Remove personal fans to prevent blowing air from one person to another worker 

• Open windows or other sources of fresh air if possible 

• Increase the HVAC outdoor air intake 

• Ensure exhaust fans in restrooms are fully functional and set to always remain on.

Abbott: Coronavirus Test Results in 5 minutes

On Friday, Abbott announced it received approval for a test that is capable of delivering positive results of the coronavirus in as little as five minutes. Abbott will begin making the tests available to health care providers next week. 

The Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for the point-of-care test on Friday. The test can detect negative results in 13 minutes. The company said it plans to ramp up manufacturing so it can deliver 50,000 tests per day. 

READ THE FULL STORY: Abbott Receives Approval for 5 Minute Test.