occufit

COVID-19 Safety

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 13:28:21 GMT

OccuFit provides high-volume hearing tests AND keeps participants at a safe distance during COVID-19.

OccuFit Performing Hearing Tests and Keeping Employees at a Safe Distance

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 01:23:48 GMT

OccuFit has a crew in Delaware performing audiometric testing. They knocked out over 1,000 tests at a facility on the plains of eastern Delaware.

Because OccuFit utilizes individual sound booths in its testing units, up to 8 employees can be tested at one time without coming in close contact with each other. At full capacity, OccuFit can test over 400 employees per day and keep everyone at a safe distance, complying with CDC guidelines. To watch how this is done, click the link to watch the video .

National Hearing Conservation Association issues guidelines for conducting hearing tests during COVID-19

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 18:15:08 GMT

Guidelines for conducting hearing tests for mobile on-site, in-house, or clinical

NHCA initiated a Task Force for developing guidance to safely conduct hearing testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The intent of this document is to provide a “Best Practices” guidance to Hearing Testing Professionals to help minimize their risk of SARS CoV-2 infection through person-to-person spread within occupational health clinics, company in-house testing and mobile test environments.

Among other topics such as PPE and screening, the document addresses social distancing on mobile testing units. It states the following:

- Mobile unit testing multiple employees within a single test booth:

a. Social distancing may not be possible but reducing the number of individuals tested at one

time should be practiced

i. Consider testing ≤ 50% of test booth capacity

ii. Consider spacing employees in an alternate or zig-zag layout and not physically

opposite each other

iii. Dividers, curtains or protective screens are recommended between employees next

to and opposite each other

iv. Require employees to wear face cloth covering

v. Monitor employees for coughing or sneezing

vi. If any employee starts coughing or sneezing, all employees must be immediately removed, and the test area disinfected

THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH OCCUFIT BECAUSE WE USE INDIVIDUAL SOUND BOOTHS WHICH ALLOWS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING DURING THE ENTIRE TEST.

This helpful document can be found here.

Facility Assessment Toolkit for COVID-19

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 19:05:44 GMT

Manufacturing Facility Assessment Tool Kit based on CDC and OSHA Guidance Available

A new 16-page document is available for occupational health and safety health professionals. The toolkit can help assess COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures at manufacturing facilities. The document can be accessed by clicking HERE .

CDC creates COVID-19 flyers in 13 different languages for meat and poultry processors

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 20:01:40 GMT

Language should never be an obstacle to employee safety!

CDC has developed one-page flyers with recommendations and strategies for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in meat and poultry processing facilities. The first flyer includes key strategies for employers to prevent COVID-19 infection among employees. The second flyer includes tips for employees to protect themselves and other from COVID-19 at work and at home.

Access them by clicking here . (Scroll to bottom of the page)

The fliers are available in the following languages:

Amharic

Arabic

Burmese

Chinese

French

Haitian-Creole

Karen

Korean

Nepali

Spanish

Somali

Tigrinya

Vietnamese

Florida Company Fined $162,688 for Lacking an Effective Hearing Conservation Program, Among Other Violations

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:30:58 GMT

U.S. Department of Labor Cites Florida Manufacturer for Amputation,
Noise, and Other Safety and Health Hazards

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a manufacturer for exposing employees to amputation, noise, struck-by and other safety and health hazards at their Pompano Beach, Florida, manufacturing facility. The window and door manufacturer faces $162,688 in penalties.

OSHA cited the company for a lack of machine guarding, failing to develop and implement a hazardous energy control program, improperly storing and handling flammable materials, and electric shock hazards. Other violations include failing to provide an effective hearing conservation program and adequate personal protective equipment, not anchoring machinery, and exposing employees to slip and trip hazards.

To read the OSHA news release, click here.

OccuFit provides a comprehensive hearing conservation program solution. Send an email to sales@occufit.com for more information.

On the road again! OccuFit conducting hearing tests and keeping social distance.

tflenniken@occufit.com (Travis Flenniken) — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:17:41 GMT

Hearing tests using personal sound booths in NC and GA

OccuFit has always used individual sound booths to improve the quality of the hearing test. In the age of COVID-19, the individual sound booths serve an additional benefit - keeping participants at a social distance while taking a hearing test.

On the top row, OccuFit is at a flooring manufacturer in Dalton, GA. The bottom images are of OccuFit technicians at a factory in North Carolina.

Each participant enters the booths one-at-a-time, and they are dismissed one-at-a-time. They are provided hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes when they enter and when they exit. After the test, each booth is blasted with a sanitizing solution by a electrostatic sprayer.

OccuFit continues to keep customer compliant with OSHA regulations despite the challenges of COVID-19!

OccuFit Creates Video to Demonstrate COVID-19 Testing Protocol

tflenniken@occufit.com (Travis Flenniken) — Thu, 21 May 2020 13:44:46 GMT

Click on the image below to watch a video demonstrating how OccuFit will conduct hearing tests while keeping participants at a safe distance and using sanitized equipment.

Individual sound booths are the only way to conduct hearing tests on multiple participants and maintain social distance.

OSHA continues to conduct investigations for non-COVID-19 complaints

tflenniken@occufit.com (Travis Flenniken) — Wed, 20 May 2020 18:51:55 GMT

OSHA's top priority is COVID-19, but "its work continues uninterrupted”...conducted 4,575 non-COVID-19 investigations since February.

U.S. Department of Labor released quotes from written testimony from postponed OSHA hearing on May 20, 2020. Principal Deputy Assistant Loren Sweatt of OSHA was scheduled to testify at the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee hearing this morning, but the hearing was postponed at last minute.

In the Deputy Assistant Secretary's testimony, the following was written, "The work of the agency continues uninterrupted even as we respond to this pandemic. Since February 1, 2020, and through May 14, 2020, OSHA has received 5,500 non-COVID-19 complaints and conducted 4,575 investigations based on these complaints. During this time, OSHA has received 2,290 non-COVID-19 whistleblower complaints, which are being evaluated along with the COVID-19 whistleblower complaints”.

Inspections reached a 3-year high in 2019, as Ms. Sweat also wrote, “During Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, OSHA conducted 33,401 inspections—more inspections than in each of the previous three fiscal years.”

The news release can be found here.

Despite the extra precautions and procedures required for COVID-19, health and safety managers must maintain OSHA regulations. This includes making a good-faith effort to complete annual hearing tests for those with a hearing conservation program.

OccuFit changes testing protocol in age of COVID-19

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 14:05:40 GMT

EH&S Managers Onboard with New Mobile Hearing Test Protocol in an Effort to Demonstrate to OSHA a Good-faith Effort to Stay Compliant

Health and safety managers responsible for their company's hearing conservation program are working with OccuFit to execute a new protocol that keeps employees at a safe distance from each other while testing and ensures that testing equipment is sanitized.

OccuFit's mobile audiometric (hearing)testing units vary in size and can test 4, 6, or 8 individuals per testing session, with each session lasting a maximum of 15 minutes. Each tester takes the hearing test in an individual sound booth , rather than with a group separated only by a small partition. OccuFit's testing procedures are as follows:

Each booth will be disinfected with a sprayer that creates a cloud coverage over all equipment in the individual sound booth.
Employees will enter the testing unit one at a time to give the OccuFit technician his or her history questionnaire.
The employee will be given a sanitizing wipe for themselves and for the hearing test equipment and booth.
The employee will go to the designated sound booth and wipe down their own equipment.
The process will continue until the testing unit is at half-capacity, with every other booth filled. Then the testing will begin.
Booths will be alternated, for example in the 8-booth unit, the first round will use booths 1,3,5,& 7 and the next will be 2,4,6 & 8.
The booths not in use will be sprayed with the disinfectant solution between groups.
At the completion of the testing session, employees will exit the booths one at a time and each will receive another sanitizing wipe as they exit.
OccuFit technicians will wear masks and will self-administer temperature checks prior to their shift.
If desired, OccuFit technicians will administer temperature checks on everyone that enters the testing unit.

EH&S managers agree that in the age of COVID-19, its a smart trade off to allow for slower testing procedures if it means employees will be safer from the spread of the virus. The protocol can be adjusted based on the customer's preference.

On April 16, 2020 OSHA announced that all companies with a hearing conservation program must show a good-faith effort to stay compliant with OSHA regulations, including annual audiometric exams. This new protocol will create an environment where EH&S managers can do their jobs during this unprecedented time.

U.S. Department of Labor Considers Employer’s Good Faith Efforts When Enforcing Compliance during Coronavirus Pandemic

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 14:03:11 GMT

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant amount of turmoil across virtually every facet of life in America and around the world. While adjustments and adaptations have become necessary, some things cannot be ignored or overlooked. Employee safety is one of these.

Though workplace conditions may be somewhat different, an employer’s responsibility to provide a safe and healthy work environment remains. Some things may be out of an employer’s control in terms of providing timely safety training and screening. However, OSHA has issued guidelines based on an employer’s good faith efforts to comply with standards even during the pandemic.

If your company undergoes an OSHA inspection, it is critical that you demonstrate that your health and safety managers did everything possible to ensure that OSHA standards were met. According to a recent U.S. Department of Labor news release, companies will be measured based upon the following criteria:

The employer explored all options to comply with applicable standards (e.g., use of virtual training or remote communication strategies);
The employer implemented interim alternative protections, such as engineering or administrative controls; and
The employer rescheduled required annual activity as soon as possible .

Employers unable to comply with OSHA requirements because local authorities required the workplace to close should demonstrate a good faith attempt to meet applicable requirements as soon as possible following the re-opening of the workplace.

Despite the challenges created by COVID-19, the employee safety remains vitally important, and OSHA will continue to safeguard working conditions. Despite the challenges inherent in a pandemic, they are not viewed as acceptable reasons to overlook employee rights. It is incumbent upon employers to take all possible courses of action to protect employees and meet OSHA’s requirements.

The OSHA new release can be accessed with the following link, visit https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOL/bulletins/2870e3f

OccuFit stands ready to serve employers with on-site testing to ensure your company stays compliant with audiometric and respirator surveillance testing. Contact OccuFit today and let our team work with you to help you take the necessary steps during this unprecedented time.