COVID-19 SAFE WORKPLACE TRAINING
Federal Guidance Update
June 15, 2021
The last few weeks have seen seismic shifts in the COVID-19 workplace safety landscape. Below is a state-by-state summary of some of the most important changes (and continued requirements):
OSHA Update
On June 10, 2021, OSHA issued updated workplace guidance to help employers (non-healthcare workplaces not covered by OSHA’s ETS) identify COVID-19 exposure risks to workers who are unvaccinated or otherwise at-risk and help them take appropriate steps to prevent exposure and infection.
The updated guidance is advisory in nature and informational in content and is intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
Concerning areas in the workplace where all employees are fully vaccinated, the updated guidance states:
Except for workplace settings covered by OSHA’s ETS [healthcare workers] and mask requirements for public transportation, most employers no longer need to take steps to protect their workers from COVID-19 exposure in any workplace, or well-defined portions of a workplace, where all employees are fully vaccinated. Employers should still take steps to protect unvaccinated or otherwise at-risk workers in their workplaces, or well-defined portions of workplaces
The updated guidance further provides that employers should engage with workers and their representatives to determine how to implement multi-layered interventions to protect unvaccinated or otherwise at-risk workers and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including, among other things, vaccination, masks, social distancing, ventilation, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, recording and reporting COVID-19 infections and death, prohibited retaliation, and training.