COVID-19 OSHA Update

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and new variants of the virus emerge, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) for the healthcare industry as well as recommendations for other industries on how to keep their employees and customers safe. These emergency rules show the dire situation currently gripping the nation as OSHA has only proposed nine previous emergency rules in the past 40 years. For the healthcare industry, this standard will go into effect once it is published in the Federal Register. Guidance for other employers not covered by the ETS should be followed immediately.