COVID-19 Information for the Workplace

Toolkit for Essential Workers
A new communication toolkit is available to help employers across various industries provide information about COVID-19 vaccines, increase awareness about vaccination benefits, and address common questions and concerns. The toolkit contains a variety of resources including key messages, FAQs, posters, newsletter content, and more.

Interim List of Categories of Essential Workers Mapped to Standardized Industry Codes and Titles
An interim list is now available to help state, local, tribal, and territorial officials and organizations prepare for the allocation of initially limited COVID-19 vaccine supply. The interim list maps essential industries to corresponding COVID-19 vaccination phases and workforce categories, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Ventilation in Buildings
A new webpage on Ventilation in Buildings is available to provide information about building ventilation. The webpage has ventilation interventions that can help reduce the concentration of virus particles, such as SARS-CoV-2, in the air. A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about building ventilation is also located on the new webpage.

Wildland Firefighting and COVID-19 Infographic Series
A new infographic series is available on the FAQs and Communication Resources for Wildland Firefighters webpage. The printable posters include how various topics, such as camps, travel assignments, and smoke exposure, relate to COVID-19.

COVID-19 Checklists for Employers and Employees in Construction
CDC offers Construction Checklists to share ways employers can protect construction workers, and how these workers can protect themselves, to slow the spread of COVID-19. The checklists are available as an interactive online tool or as a PDF in both English and Spanish.

Workplace SARS-CoV-2 Testing: Consent Elements and Disclosures
This recently updated webpage describes the elements of consent and recommended disclosures necessary to support employee decision-making for participating in workplace-based testing. Workplace testing should not be done without an employee’s consent.

Easy to Read COVID-19 Safety
CDC has recently published Easy to Read COVID-19 materials. This information was primarily developed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and for those who read or listen with understanding below a third-grade level.

Recently Updated Resources

General Business Frequently Asked Questions
CDC recently updated their General Business FAQs webpage about reducing the spread of COVID-19. The updated recommendations reflect new scientific evidence, evolving epidemiology, and the need to simplify the assessment of risk.

COVID-19 Response Guidance for Businesses and Employers
CDC recently updated their Guidance for Business and Employers, addressing shortened quarantine options and additional considerations for testing. The updates also clarify information around mask-wearing.

Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Isolation Gowns
CDC recently updated their Isolation Gown Optimization Strategies, moving the prioritization strategy of gowns from crisis capacity to contingency capacity. The updated information also clarifies the situations where gowns should be prioritized

New NIOSH Science Blogs

Preventing Needlestick Injuries at COVID–19 Vaccination Sites discusses the increased risk for needlestick injuries due to the effort to administer COVID-19 vaccines to a large number of people who need to be vaccinated in various settings. The blog includes links to additional training, resources, and guidance.

Overview of the ASTM F3407 Standard Test Method for Respirator Fit Capability discusses the importance of respirator fit and the development and potential impact of a voluntary consensus standard.

COVID-19 and Workplace Fatigue: Lessons Learned and Mitigation Strategies discusses how these unprecedented times require that employers collaborate with workers on a holistic approach and creative solutions to manage workplace fatigue.

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s main COVID-19 page.

• Coronavirus.gov
  Information for the public from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force at the White House

• What the U.S. Government is Doing
  A catalog of all U.S. government activities related to coronavirus. Available in both English and Spanish