At its April 21, 2022 Board Meeting, the California Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards Board approved the third re-adoption of its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19 Prevention, with minor revisions. The revised and re-adopted ETS becomes effective after the Office of Administrative Law completes its analysis and files with the Secretary of State, which is anticipated prior to May 5th. An Executive Order issued by the Governor on 12/16/21 allows the third re-adoption to remain in effect through December 31, 2022. Changes to the existing ETS can be viewed here, of which the most notable are summarized below:
- Vaccination Status Distinctions Eliminated
- No Set Rules for Close Contact Exclusion
- Specific Rules Adopted for Workplace Exclusion and Return
- Expanded Acceptable COVID-19 Testing Methods
- Surface Contamination No Longer Considered a Hazard
- Partitions Not Required for Minor or Major Outbreaks
Cal/OSHA’s efforts to create a permanent COVID-19 standard are ongoing and its implementation is anticipated prior to the current ETS expiring at 2022 year end. PRISM will continue to monitor the OSH Standards Board and keep members informed of regulatory changes. For questions about this blog or PRISM's monitoring of COVID-19 regulations, please contact PRISM Risk Control.