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Coronavirus at work: Safety inspectors reviewing scores of employee hospitalizations, deaths

Workplace safety inspectors are conducting nearly 200 coronavirus-related investigations to determine whether employers failed to adequately protect their workers, according to data from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Half involve employee deaths or hospitalizations. The inspections target nearly 50 hospitals and two dozen nursing homes, including one in Joliet, Illinois, where administrators believe an infected maintenance worker spread the virus room to room. Twenty-four residents died, along with a nursing assistant and the maintenance worker himself. Also under […]

Workers face ‘uphill battle’ proving firms liable if they catch COVID-19 as economy reopens

A handful of states are reopening for business following coronavirus-triggered lockdowns, raising two compelling questions: Must employers ensure the workplace is safe? And will they be held liable if employees contract the virus? The short answer is that while health care providers must follow federal safety guidelines to guard against contagion, other businesses are not obligated to do so, leaving it to states and localities to set standards, experts say. And sick employees who seek […]

Understanding FDA Regulatory Terminology During COVID-19

To update clinicians on the various terminology used by the FDA on treatments related to COVID-19 we have developed this reference guide. Classification of Intended Use and Definitions The classification of your intended use dictates which products can be used and what regulatory framework needs to be in place based on your intent. For example, if you are treating a patient with an FDA-approved product, you can take it off the shelf and use it […]

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Postponed, RxSaver By RetailMeNot Offers Resources for Safe Medication Disposal

AUSTIN, Texas, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ In light of the DEA postponing National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription savings destination RxSaver by RetailMeNot™ has outlined alternative ways for people to safely dispose of expired or unused medications. The annual medication disposal event was originally scheduled for this Saturday, April 25, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RxSaver encourages people to check their medicine cabinets and routinely remove expired or unused medications. If you need […]

At hospitals and on the curb, pandemic leads to more medical waste

Local hospitals are running through personal protective equipment at alarming rates in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. That fact ultimately translates to excessive amounts of garbage contaminated with bodily fluids containing the virus, COVID-19. All of this used gear, whether it’s masks, gloves, booties, bed linens, or disposable gowns becomes what is termed medical waste, and must be disposed of safely. That means tossing all of it into an autoclave and literally scorching it […]

How doctors can keep their families safe after providing COVID-19 care

The rise in COVID-19 cases creates anxiety among physicians and other health professionals who worry they might carry the virus home to their families. This remains top of mind for many people in the medical field, leaving them wondering: How do I keep my family safe after caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic? Many physicians are struggling to understand what disinfection is necessary before coming home, or if they should remain in a […]

How to Properly Wash Your Hands

One of the best ways to keep you and your family healthy is by properly washing your hands. Despite being taught to wash our hands as children, many of us don’t know the proper techniques for washing our hands correctly, or how often we should be performing this important task. We’ll walk you through the proper steps as laid out by the leading health organizations around the globe such as the Centers for Disease Control […]

OCR will ease restrictions on telehealth tech during COVID-19

The privacy watchdog won’t impose penalties on providers who use non-HIPAA-compliant remote communications technology during the public health emergency. The HHS Office for Civil Rights announced on Tuesday that during the coronavirus pandemic it will use discretion when enforcing HIPAA-compliance for telehealth communications tools. Why It Matters Even though some of those technologies may not fully comply with HIPAA requirements, OCR says it “will not impose penalties for noncompliance with the regulatory requirements under the […]

How to Respond Effectively to Covid-19 Waste Generation

The covid-19 pandemic threatens to create large amounts of new waste, particularly for resource managers at organizations that aren’t in the healthcare sector. Manufacturers, businesses, governments, schools, universities and others that don’t normally deal with potentially infectious waste may be unsure how to respond safely and responsibly. As the novel coronavirus continued spreading, Environment + Energy Leader asked Wade Scheel, director of government affairs for the environmental and regulated waste management solutions company Stericycle, for […]

Nobody Predicted This

I don’t recall seeing the coronavirus listed in any predictions for garbage and recycling in 2020. Nor, I suspect, did any solid waste plans have contingencies for managing garbage and recycling in a pandemic. After all, we have so little experience in this area. As I write this, no one really knows when this will be over. We are trying to figure out how to react, what changes to make in our programs and what […]