OSHA Issues Guidance for Social Distancing in the Workplace

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an alert providing steps that employers may follow to implement social distancing in the workplace; helping to protect their workers from exposure to the coronavirus.

OSHA suggested the following safety measures employers can implement:

  • Isolate any worker who begins to exhibit symptoms that cannot immediately leave the worksite;
  • Establish flexible schedules to include telecommuting and alternative work schedules;
  • Stagger breaks and re-arrange seating in common areas such as break rooms or kitchens to help maintain physical distance between workers;
  • In workplaces where customers are present, mark-off six-foot distances with floor tape in areas where lines should form, use drive-through windows or curbside pickup, and limit the number of customers allowed on the premises at one time;
  • Move or reposition workstations to create more distance, and install plexiglass partitions; and

Encourage workers to bring any safety and health concerns to their manager or supervisor’s attention.