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EHS Today is an American magazine that informs safety professionals on trends, management strategies, regulatory updates and daily news to help them provide safe and healthy work sites. Just over 700 safety professionals recently participated in an editorial survey. Managers and leaders provided insight into how companies are managing the evolving business environment and what they think workplace safety will look like in a post pandemic world.
Manufacturing | 33.5% |
Construction | 11.4% |
Government | 7.6% |
Oil and gas | 5.8% |
Medical | 4.0% |
Utilities | 3.9% |
Education | 3.7% |
Research/Technology | 2.6% |
Agriculture | 1.4% |
Mining | 1.0% |
Retail | 1.0% |
Other | 24.1% |
Over 2,500 employees | 25% |
100 – 2,500 employees | 53% |
Fewer than 100 employees | 22% |
Cross functional management | 22.5% |
Time | 19% |
Staggered phases | 15.2% |
Workplace Stress/Anxiety | 86% |
Employee Mental Health & Wellness Programs | 84% |
Physical Health Programs | 56% |
Public Health Programs | 41% |
Disinfection Measures | 76% |
PPE | 54% |
Common Area Restrictions | 53% |
Workspace Requirement | 39% |
Temperature Monitoring | 28% |
Air Flow | 15% |
Social Distancing Protocol | 66% |
Deep Cleaning & Disinfection Protocols | 52% |
Communications | 44% |
Employee Training | 41% |
Employee Self Screening | 34% |
Flexible work policies including working from home | 51% |
Increased emphasis on industrial hygiene & occupational health | 50% |
Additional Policies and Controls | 43% |
Increased technology investment | 19% |
Yes | 71% |
No | 29% |
An overwhelming majority of respondents (71%) believe these new safety measures will be permanent changes, not just temporary measures. As one respondent said, summarising the whole COVID-19 situation for safety leaders, “The things that are being addressed now have always been things we should have been doing anyway (hazard recognition and controls) and being more diligent in how we interact with both our environment and those around us.”