11 communication tips from OSHA
Looking to communicate about workplace safety during the COVID-19 outbreak? Where better to turn than the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration?
As you design your back-to-work plan, here are some tips from the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA offers a wealth of information in its 35-page Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.
Just interested in the comms-related advice? Don’t worry, we’ve scoured the document for key suggestions for busy communicators.
Some crucial points, according to OSHA, that communicators must consider:
1. Promote employee self-monitoring. Inform and encourage employees to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 if they suspect possible exposure. Encourage sick employees to stay home. (There’s a handy self-checker at the link, for all us hypochondriacs.)
2. Keep them informed about pay, leave, safety, health and other issues that may arise during infectious disease outbreaks. Provide appropriate training, education and informational material about business-essential job functions and worker health and safety.
“Informed workers who feel safe at work are less likely to be unnecessarily absent,” OSHA states.
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