Coronavirus Coverage

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The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced it will issue an emergency temporary standard to protect healthcare workers from contracting coronavirus. The standard focuses on healthcare workers most likely to have contact with someone infected with the virus. OSHA announced the new standard alongside new general industry guidance, both of which are aligned with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance

On June 3, 2021, the Cal/OSHA Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board finally passed revised Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) that now take into account employee vaccination status and loosening restrictions from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and California’s elimination of the colored Tier system.  The revised ETS will go into effect on June 15, 2021 and creates additional employer obligations beginning on July 31, 2021.  

There are a number of best practices that an employer should follow when faced with any OSHA inspection. Like most best practices, they start with advanced planning so that everyone is prepared when the inspector shows up.

Since COVID-19 vaccine distribution began in December 2020, millions of people across the United States have been vaccinated.  Still, a large percentage of people remain unvaccinated, which creates challenges for employers who view the COVID-19 vaccine as a key protective measure for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

The internet is awash with pieces of advice for workplaces looking to re-open. Amidst a thousand hygiene recommendations, it can be difficult to piece together a coherent anti-Coronavirus game plan for the long term.

The Biden administration is advancing emergency workplace safety rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after weeks of delay and growing pressure from Democrats and safety advocates.

Doug Parker, the former head of Cal/OSHA nominated by President Biden on April 9, 2021, to lead federal OSHA, steps into the most pressurized and politicized atmosphere in the agency’s 50-year history.