COVID-19 Update: OSHA Issues Social Distancing Reminder as Workers Return

As workers return to their offices and nonessential businesses this week in many parts of the country, including the Chicago area, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), issued an alert reminding employers of social distancing practices to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Safety measures employers can implement to help protect workers from coronavirus exposure include:

• Isolate any worker who begins to exhibit symptoms until they can either go home or leave to seek medical care.
• Establish flexible worksites (telecommuting) and flexible work hours (staggered shifts) if feasible.
• Stagger breaks and rearrange seating in common break areas to maintain physical distance between workers.
• In workplaces where customers are present, mark six-foot distances with floor tape in areas where lines form, use drive-through windows or curbside pickup, and limit the number of customers allowed at one time.
• Move or reposition workstations to create more distance and install plexiglass partitions.
• Encourage workers to bring any safety and health concerns to their supervisor’s attention.