On April 15, the National Safety Council and more than 50 partner organizations with employees at worksites across the country wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence urging the federal government to provide COVID-19 testing resources to employers with workers engaged in essential business services.
While priority for virus testing will rightly be given to the healthcare sector, NSC and its partners implore the federal government to remember many workplaces are still operating.
With about 25 percent of people who have coronavirus being asymptomatic, workers could be at risk for contracting COVID-19 without realizing it, and workplace access to testing should be a priority as testing supplies become more abundant.
"We cannot flatten the curve without protecting our nation's workers, many of whom have continued reporting to traditional worksites in the midst of this global pandemic, unable to work remotely," said Lorraine M. Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "We must protect these workers, and one of the best ways to do so is by conducting more tests. As soon as tests are widely available, we expect that our nation's employers will have access to them."
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced workplaces across the U.S. to close or limit operations to protect public health and safety.
As of April 1, 55 states and territories had some closures of non-essential businesses, and 28 states and territories have prohibited in-person workforces for nonessential businesses.
However, states and territories have deemed some businesses and sectors as "essential," and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce.
Employees engaged in critical and essential business are required to be at a physical worksite in some proximity to other employees and/or customers.
As the group writes in its letter, "a lack of easily accessible COVID-19 testing means that some of our employees may unknowingly be coming to work and spreading the disease to their co-workers and the public."
The groups signing the letter included--
AES Corporation
American Association on Health and Disability
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)
American Public Gas Association
American Staffing Association
American Sugar Alliance
American Trucking Associations
Arizona Chapter National Safety Council
Association of American Railroads
Association of Energy Service Companies
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Board of Certified Safety Professionals
Chesapeake Region Safety Council
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
Council for Dredging & Marine Construction Safety
CropLife America
DEKRA NA Consulting
Dredging Contractors of America
Environmental Resources Management
Florida Chamber Safety Council
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Houston Area Safety Council
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
International Warehouse Logistics Association
International Window Cleaning Association
Iowa-Illinois Safety Council, Inc.
ISN Software Corporation
Knauf Insulation Inc.
Laborers' Health & Safety Fund of North America
Laborers' International Union of North America
Lakeshore Foundation
Minnesota Safety Council
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Cotton Council
National Demolition Association, Inc.
National Pork Producers Council
National Safety Council
National Safety Council Ark-La-Tex Chapter, Inc.
National Safety Council of Northern New England
National Safety Council Ohio Chapter
National Safety Council, Nebraska
National Waste and Recycling Association
NENY Safety & Health Council
North Dakota Safety Council
Nutrien
Oklahoma Safety Council
RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment)
Safety and Health Council of North Carolina
Safety Council of Western New England
Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)
South Dakota Safety Council
Southeastern Chapter National safety Council
Tennessee Safety and Health Council
The Fertilizer Institute
Tree Care Industry Association
United Fresh Produce Association
USA Rice Federation
USG Corporation
Utah Safety Council
Virginia Ship Repair Association
Wisconsin Safety Council
Wyoming Montana Safety Council
For more information about workplace safety, visit the National Safety Council COVID-19 webpage.
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where the Council can make the most impact.
[Posted: April 15, 2020]
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