As the world continues to adjust to the realities of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, safety managers are tasked with enforcing protocol, and in some cases, mandates. Making this more challenging is that sometimes information changes quickly, and guidance from difference sources can be conflicting. Over a year and a half in, a new issue has arisen: COVID compliance burnout.

When it comes to the workplace, many employers have been relying on OSHA’s guidelines Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace. This document is updated to reflect developments in best practices and as the science around COVID-19 evolves. It also helps safety managers understand which elements are mandatory, like OSHA requirements apply to preventing occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and which items are suggested but not required, like getting all workers vaccinated.

While many businesses have adopted COVID-19 safety plans that were a combination of CDC guidelines like practicing social distancing paired with practices that made sense for their specific business like Plexiglas shields, there’s less information on how to manage COVID fatigue.

Offer clarity. Regular employees may not be aware of what is required by OSHA and what is not. If some employees are pushing back about certain PPE requirements, a reminder that complying with PPE like masks is not different than a proper lock-out/tag-out from OSHA’s perspective.
Be transparent. If your organization has adopted policies or process that goes beyond OSHA or CDC guidelines, make sure that employees understand why.
Evaluate your safety plan at large. Now may be a good time to revisit your entire safety program and plan. Communicating any necessary updates may help take the focus off of COVID.
Ask yourself if there is room for flexibility. Safety plans are by nature rigid, but you may have the opportunity to work with other managers and even human resources to offer flexibility in other areas, for example, dress codes, or shift start times.
Bring feedback to senior management. Sometimes, as a safety manager, you may hear feedback that does not always get surfaced up through the organizational chart. It may be worth communicating what you hear in the field; while changes are not always possible, sometimes it helps people to simply feel heard.