The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued new Directives that establishes inspection procedures and enforcement policies for the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS),
In response to the Presidential Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety, OSHA determined additional measures could be taken to prevent occupational exposures to SARSCoV-2 and COVID-19, and issued an ETS to protect health care workers from occupational exposure. (The ETS was published in the Federal Register on June 21, 2021.)
Related: You Can Still Watch the NAHC Webinar on OSHA’s Emergency Standards
During the period of the ETS, covered health care employers must develop and implement a COVID-19 plan to identify and control COVID-19 hazards in the workplace. As part of their COVID-19 plan, these employers must address and implement various requirements to reduce transmission of COVID-19 in their workplaces, including patient and non-employee screening and management requirements, standard and transmission-based precautions, controls for aerosol-generating procedures, physical distancing, physical barriers, personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfection, ventilation, employee health screening and medical management, vaccination, training, anti-retaliation, recordkeeping, and reporting.
This new Directive is designed to ensure uniformity in enforcing the ETS when addressing workplace exposures to SARS-CoV-2.