Pandemic Preparedness Plan

COVID Help Center & Resources

The pandemic continues to bring challenges for every business. OECS will continue to assist you and help navigate these difficult times by sharing best practices we’ve learned across hundreds of businesses that could improve your safety and productivity and guiding you on how to handle the COVID-related impacts to your worker’s comp premiums. We’re here to help you protect the health and safety of your employees and business.

emergency temporary standard (ETS) on vaccination and testing

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is withdrawing the vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard issued on Nov. 5, 2021, to protect unvaccinated employees of large employers with 100 or more employees from workplace exposure to coronavirus. The withdrawal is effective January 26, 2022.

Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard.

Click here for more information on the ruling, and refer to the statement released from U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.

Building confidence in covid-19 vaccines

Vaccinate with Confidence is the strategic framework of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen vaccine confidence and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States.

The CDC created the Workplaces and Businesses web page to help employers protect their employees with a variety of tools, including vaccination. The web page includes information on COVID-19 vaccines, post-vaccination considerations for workplaces, and information on other preventive measures.

quarantine and Isolation

On January 4, CDC updated COVID-19 isolation and quarantine recommendations with shorter isolation (for asymptomatic and mildly ill people) and quarantine periods of 5 days to focus on the period when a person is most infectious, followed by continued masking for an additional 5 days. These updated recommendations also facilitate individual social and well-being needs, return to work, and maintenance of critical infrastructure.

With the recommended shorter isolation and quarantine periods, it is critical that people continue to wear well-fitting masks and take additional precautions for 5 days after leaving isolation or quarantine. In addition, isolation should only end if a person has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and other symptoms have resolved.

Here to Help

Please reach out (763-417-9599) if you have questions or need clarification on the ETS.

Videos and Webinars

OECS COVID-19 Action Plan for Business (6/25/2020)

OECS The Business Case for Safety Webinar (May 13, 2020)

COVID-19 Prevention and Response

Training Resources and Guidance:

Fact Sheets:

Minnesota:

Wisconsin:

South Dakota:

North Dakota:

OSHA Links:

Posters:

CONTACT US

Contact OECS for timely and professional solutions to workplace safety questions, issues, hazards, or concerns. Our safety consultants are available 24/7 to ensure your safety needs are met.

Contact us, we promise a speedy response!