As workplaces and facilities continue to open during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that employers must report and record work-related COVID-19 cases. Previously, only healthcare employers, emergency response organizations, and correctional facilities had to comply; however, the new guidance requires all businesses—except small employers with 10 or fewer employees and those in low hazard industries—to record work-related COVID-19 cases.
OSHA states the COVID-19 illness is recordable if:
- The case is a confirmed case of COVID-19, as defined by the CDC
- The case is work-related as defined by 29 CFR § 1904.5, and
- The case involves one or more of the general recording criteria set forth in 29 CFR § 1904.7.
Determining if a COVID-19 Case is Work-Related
Understanding the nature of COVID-19 and how difficult it can be to determine if a case is work-related—especially if the employee has experienced potential exposure in and out of the workplace—OSHA recommends companies consider reasonable evidence such as:
- If several cases developed among workers who work closely together
- If an employee’s COVID-19 illness is contracted shortly after exposure to a customer or coworker who has a confirmed case of COVID-19
The full list of reasonable evidence, which OSHA will also consider when determining if the employer made an accurate decision, is listed in OSHA’s guidance.
LobbyGuard Visitor Management Can Help You Comply
LobbyGuard’s comprehensive visitor management solutions—which can be used in virtually any lobby or reception environment—provides quick, reliable access to data that can help you comply with OSHA’s reporting requirements.
The system automatically records details, including contact information, dates, and check-in and check-out times for every visitor, employee, and contractor who uses the visitor management system. If a previous visitor or an employee who was recently in the building or facility alerted you that they have since tested positive for COVID-19, these detailed records enable you to quickly see when the infected person was in your building and who else was in your building while he or she was there based on sign-in/sign-out times that are tracked in the system.
Employers can use this collected data to help determine if COVID-19 has spread to multiple workers who were in the workplace at the same time or if an employee was in contact with a customer, visitor, or other staff member who has tested positive; thus, you will have the documentation needed to confidently decide—based on the reasonable evidence listed above—if the COVID-19 case is work-related and recordable.
The downloadable, easy-to-read reports can also be shared with OSHA and Compliance Safety and Health Officers as proof that you have analyzed reliable evidence and made an accurate determination.
Learn More
The LobbyGuard Visitor Management system helps companies of all sizes and across various industries respond to COVID-19 by empowering them to better screen visitors, minimize COVID-19’s spread, and facilitate contact tracing. To learn more about how LobbyGuard can help with your COVID-19 response, read our eBook or contact us here.