The Department of Labor’s COVID-19 Alert for Package Delivery Workers
OSHA has issued an alert listing safety tips employers can follow to help protect package delivery workers from exposure to coronavirus.
This week, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an alert to protect package delivery workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Employers of delivery and mail services can implement the following steps to better protect their employees:
- Establishing flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts) where feasible;
- Minimizing interaction between drivers and customers by leaving deliveries at loading docks, doorsteps or other locations that do not require person-to-person exposures;
- Promoting personal hygiene. If workers do not have access to soap and water for handwashing, provide alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol. Provide disinfectants and disposable towels workers can use to clean work surfaces, including vehicle interiors;
- Allowing workers to wear masks over their nose and mouth to prevent them from spreading the virus;
- Using Environmental Protection Agency-approved cleaning chemicals from List N or that have label claims against the coronavirus; and
- Encouraging workers to report any safety and health concerns.
The new alert is available for download in English and Spanish.
Visit OSHA’s Publications webpage for other useful workplace safety information. Visit OSHA’s COVID-19 webpage for updates related to the virus. Visit Occupational Health & Safety Magazine’s Coronavirus webpage for updates and articles related to the workplace and the virus.