Safeguarding your business and employees during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most disruptive and unprecedented events to occur in modern times. The direction and guidance surrounding the welfare of a business and its employees is constantly evolving – sometimes weekly and often daily. Due to the changing nature of this environment, businesses reviewing, contemplating and implementing policies surrounding worker safety should regularly consult with several critical government and public health protection sources we have listed below for your reference.
 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The United States health protection agency.
  • Resources for Businesses and Employers
  • Communication Resources
  • New COVID-19 Video Resources

• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA): US Department of Labor is the agency responsible for ensuring safe working conditions.
  

• State Regulatory Requirements: Individual states update their regulatory requirements relating to the virus on a regular basis. The requirements can vary extensively state to state. State Plans are monitored by OSHA and must be at least as effective as OSHA in protecting workers and in preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths. To view a detailed map with your state and plan please click here.
  
  Twenty-two states have OSHA-approved State Plans covering private and state/local government workplaces. Of those, California, Virginia, Oregon, Michigan, and Minnesota have also enacted Emergency Temporary Standards, Rules or general Guidance pertaining to COVID-19 and worker safety.  Below are useful resources for these states used to assist employers with their COVID  prevention programs:
   
  • California: 
    • Cal/OSHA emergency standard for COVID prevention
    • Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Guidance and Resources
    • COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards Frequently Asked Questions
    • Model COVID-19 Prevention Plan
    • Cal-OSHA Fact Sheet
  • Virginia: 
    • Final COVID-19 Standard  
    • COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard
    • COVID-19 Reference Material
  • Oregon:
    • Oregon OSHA and COVID-19
  • Michigan:
    • COVID-19 and Workplace SafetyGuidance
  • Minnesota:
    • Businesses and Employers:  COVID-19
       

• Legal Counsel: Before implementing any new employment policies, clients should consult with their legal counsel. 
   

These public health protection sources provide critical guidance and direction on a frequent basis – sometimes daily – and should be re-checked often to ensure relevancy for your business. The links below can provide direct access to the updates and in some cases, you can sign up for alerts to receive instant updates in your inbox.

Recent updates
 

• CDC What’s New?
•  COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)
• What You Should Know About the Possibility of COVID-19 Illness After Vaccination
• Science Brief: SARS-CoV-2 and Surface (Fomite) Transmission for Indoor Community Environments
• About Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19
• Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
  

Keeping your business safe: Key considerations from the CDC and OSHA during COVID-19

Chubb is closely monitoring the COVID-19 coronavirus and continually reviewing guidance issued by these government health authorities in order to assist our clients when they need us most.

We understand that there is a significant amount of information that currently exists to guide businesses, therefore we have gone through and compiled topical subject areas below with relevant CDC and OSHA links that are useful for your business now.

Cleaning and Disinfecting
Reopening a business relies on public health strategies and so much more – below are guidance materials from the CDC and OSHA for doing so in Public Spaces, Offices, Workplaces, Businesses, and Schools.
 

• Your Guide to Reopening Your Business
• Facility Guide to Cleaning/Disinfecting Various Surfaces and Areas
  
  

Prevention & Symptoms
The critical information your business and employees need to know now about how to protect against, control and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
 

• How to Protect Yourself and Others
• Control and Prevention
• Communication Resources – English
• Communication Resources – Spanish
  
  

Returning to Work Guidance 
Learn more about the steps you can follow to create a safe and healthy workplace for your employees and clients amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

• Covid-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings
  
• COVID-19 Safety and Health Topics. Alerts, Enforcement Guidelines and Industry Guidance (English and Spanish)
• COVID-19 One-Stop Shop Toolkits from CDC. Videos, Social Media, PSAs, Print Resources, Checklists, FAQs, and Web Resources
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions from OSHA
• Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace
  
  

Social Distancing
There is more to social distancing than just keeping your distance – find out more about slowing the spread with the helpful tips below from the CDC.
 

• Social Distancing to Prevent Sickness
  
  

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
CDC and OSHA Guides to types of PPE equipment available, what is recommended and how to care for and use PPE equipment.
 

• Personal Protective Equipment: Questions and Answers
• Personal Protective Equipment: Standards, Hazards and Solutions
  
  

Face Coverings
Top CDC and OSHA resources for how to wear, make and clean cloth face coverings.
 

• Use of Cloth Face Coverings
• Respiratory Protection Training Videos
• FAQs on Face Coverings, Surgical Masks and Respirators in
  the Workplace
  
  

Travel
With the spread of COVID-19 being a rapidly evolving situation, the severity of the outbreak varies by geographic area. What are the latest travel notices and what should your business be aware of regarding US and International Travel? Find out more here:
 

• Guidance on Travel from the CDC
  
  

Vaccination Resources
 

• CDC Clinical Resources for the Covid-19 Vaccination
• Getting Ready for Your Covid-19 Vaccination
• Covid-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit for Essential Workers
  
  

During these unsettling times, we want to reinforce our commitment to clients, agents and brokers. Risk Engineering remains available to provide the same level of service you have come to expect.

For more information about protecting your business and its employees, contact your local Chubb Risk Engineer, email us or visit our COVID-19 Resource Page.