The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated its guidance in June on ways to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
With just under half the U.S. population fully vaccinated, the updated guidance focuses on protections for unvaccinated and otherwise at-risk workers.
“At-risk workers” are any employees who may have a condition that affects their ability to have a full immune response to the vaccination and those who cannot be protected through a vaccine, who cannot get vaccinated, or who cannot use a face covering.
The recommendations center on reducing the likelihood that an unvaccinated or at-risk worker comes into contact with COVID-19. The full set of recommendations can be found here. The first three recommendations are:
- Grant paid time off for employees to get vaccinated.
- Instruct any workers who are infected, unvaccinated workers who have had close contact with someone who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and all workers with COVID-19 symptoms to stay home from work.
- Implement physical distancing for unvaccinated and otherwise at-risk workers in all communal work areas.
“Boat retailers have been focused on the safety of their customers and staff throughout the pandemic, and it is encouraging to see OSHA provide updated guidance to assist employers,” said Chad Tokowicz, Government Relations Manager for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas.
Since the guidance is not a standard or regulation and only contains recommendations, there is no legal obligation follow the guidelines. Instead, it is intended to assist employers in identifying hazards likely to cause death or harm to their employees. Therefore, it is not required that you follow or institute these recommendations, instead they are suggestions to assure you are providing a safe workplace for all of your employees.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, contact us at 763-315-8043.
