Haynes and Boone, LLP Associate Mini Kapoor talked with Bloomberg Law about why employers need to create or revise training programs and guides to take into account the use of harsher cleaning chemicals to destroy COVID-19 as businesses reopen.
Here is an excerpt:
“In certain industries where hazard communications hasn’t been a concern, it might fall between the cracks,” attorney Mini Kapoor, an associate with Haynes and Boone, LLP in Houston, said about complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s chemical rules.
The use of chemical agents is sure to increase if businesses follow protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] and industry groups on preventing the spread of the Coronavirus in workplaces.
The CDC recommends manufacturers ensure tools are regularly cleaned and disinfected, including at least as often as workers change workstations or move to a new set of tools. For offices, the American Industrial Hygiene Association advises conference rooms be cleaned after each use and that individual workplaces, such as desks, be cleaned daily or at the end of each shift.
That means businesses may turn to chemicals that are much harsher than what they used pre-pandemic, forcing them to meet federal safety rules they previously didn’t have to worry about and ensure their workers are fully trained so everyone stays safe
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