COVID 19 Update 66
Mid Hudson Region Inching Closer To Meeting Reopening Metrics
The Mid Hudson is at 5 of 7 Metrics and very close to the sixth. Visit the dashboard here.
While the Mid-Hudson region has NOT yet met the criteria to begin phase 1 of reopening, all businesses, including essential businesses, must develop a COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan. This plan does not need to be submitted to a state agency for approval but must be retained on the premises of the business and must made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.
A template for a plan may be found here.
U.S. Department of Labor Reverses Course, Requires Employers to Determine Whether COVID-19 Cases Were Work-Related
Council Associate Member and Friend Harris Beach reports that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced last month that most employers would not be required to determine if workers’ COVID-19 cases were work-related. On May 19, 2020, OSHA rescinded last month’s guidance and announced that employers are required to determine if workers’ COVID-19 cases were work-related.
The new guidance explains that employers who are required to keep OSHA injury and illness logs must determine if workers’ COVID-19 cases were job-related. OSHA acknowledged that it may be difficult for employers to determine if a COVID-19 case was work-related, but employers are still expected to conduct reasonable investigations to determine work-relatedness.
Read the full story at Harris Beach
Employees Allege Unsafe Workplaces
Some workers in retail, food service, transportation and other industries are walking off their jobs, alleging their employers have them working in unsafe conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic. With no federal mandates requiring employers to implement safeguards, these workers are trying to bring “public attention to the fact that their companies are not protecting their safety and health,” says Deborah Berkowitz of the National Employment Law Project.
Read the full story at The Guardian
Operational Practices to Consider in the Time of COVID-19
The NAM has released a “best practices” guide that provides topline shared practices to assist manufacturers in meeting or exceeding federal guidelines while also reducing operational and business risks. This guide leverages the experiences and real-world practices that manufacturers across America and around the world have put into place.
Supply Chain: How to Handle the Unique Disruption from the Pandemic
The supply chain upheaval caused by the coronavirus differs from other disruptions in its geography, scope and effect on supply and demand, writes Brent Moritz. He recommends caring for customers and employees, being flexible and having backup and emergency plans in place.
Read the full story at Modern Materials Handling magazine
CI Webinar: Dealing with Supply Chain Disruption
Webinar with Dennis Yu, Clarkson University and John Mead, Totalogistix
Date: June 10, 2020 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Dr. Dennis Yu, Associate Professor of Operations & Information Systems and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs & Research will discuss strategies to help your firm manage risk and maintain operational flexibility in you supply chain. John Mead from Totalogistix will provide case studies and real world examples.
This presentation will cover:
- Definition of supply chain risks
- How to assess supply chain vulnerability
- Key strategies such as mitigation strategies and contingency planning to build a resilient supply chain.
State Antibody Test: One Zip Code in the Bronx Showed a 43% Positive Rate
The State partnered with the faith-based community to conduct antibody testing in low-income, high-impact areas of NYC to study the virus’s effect on these communities. The study found that certain zip codes show large fluctuations in positive results. One zip code in the Bronx showed a 43% positive rate and the Bronx had the highest overall percentage of positives. Zip codes representing lower income and primarily minority residents showed the highest percent positive.
The State is developing targeted strategies to address the high infection rates in minority communities. The State will also direct all local governments to prioritize testing efforts in low income communities and develop outreach programs
Read the Governor’s Press Release
How to Get New York Working Again: A Plan to Restore Manufacturing in the Empire State – An Op-Ed From State Senator Klein (Sponsor of the Legislation that Founded Our MIAP Apprentice Program)
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this tragedy, it’s how important the manufacturing industry is. It has shown us the cost of our reliance on China for all kinds of manufactured goods, from medical supplies and clothing to electronics and agricultural products.
We also must continue to train new workers, as the average age of high-skilled manufacturing workers is 56 years old. One way to do this is by expanding the New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program to create public-private partnerships between employers and New York, giving manufacturing firms the opportunity to create apprenticeship programs without the administrative burdens.”
6 Apps to Monitor Employee Health
The constantly evolving COVID-19 health crisis is putting pressure on workforce managers to produce real-time data about the health of their employees.
As businesses navigate their way through the crisis, a number of HR technology firms are responding to the demand for better health monitoring by launching COVID-19 trackers for enterprise use. These apps not only keep tabs on possible cases of infection and exposure among employees but also provide leaders with guidance and concrete steps on how to manage the crisis.
Read more at Human Resources Director
