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OSHA issues coronavirus guidance for oil and gas industry
2020-07-09T05:00:00Z
OSHA has issued guidance to help protect oil and gas industry workers from exposure to the coronavirus. OSHA says the guidance supplements its general interim guidance for workers and employers of workers at increased risk of occupational exposure to COVID-19.
Employers with workers engaged in the oil and gas industry should remain alert to changing outbreak conditions, including the spread of the virus and testing availability in their community, and implement infection prevention measures accordingly.
The guidance includes information regarding:
- Deferring work requiring close contact with others, if that work can be postponed;
- Configuring communal work environments so that workers are spaced at least 6 feet apart;
- Staggering workers’ arrival, break, and departure times;
- Ensuring adequate ventilation in work areas to help minimize potential exposures;
- Implementing other appropriate engineering, administrative, and work practice controls, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); and
- Encouraging workers to wear face coverings as a source control to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
The guidance also includes examples of oil and gas work tasks associated with exposure risk levels to help employers determine who may be most at risk.