S A F E T Y
Machinery & Equipment MRO
April 2021
EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND SAFETY BEYOND COVID-19 A year ago, everything changed with the declaration of a global pandemic. Every industry has been impacted by a different magnitude from periodic shutdowns and closures to reduced capacities. BY MARIETE F. PACHECO
T
he one element that has changed for every business regardless of industry has been employee health and safety. Keeping employees safe
during a health crisis such as COVID-19 has become paramount. Let’s look at what employee health and safety may look like in the future; post-pandemic.
Millions of dollars have been spent this past year in employee health and safety protocols; increased usage of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves, hand sanitizing stations, installing barriers and retrofi ing HVAC systems with enhanced filtration and ventilation systems. Of all the changes, will any of the new protocols become part of the much anticipated “new normal”? The efforts made to contain and reduce the spread of the coronavirus, such as rolling lockdowns, physical distancing, mask wearing, reduced travel and increased hand washing, has had a significant impact as well on controlling the spread of the seasonal flu and common cold seasons. Many of the COVID-19 protocols for manufacturing, food processing plants, construction sites and others have been focused on increased PPE usage and
Photo: Burin Pochai / iStock / Getty Images Plus
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