As Monkeypox (MPX) continues to be an issue throughout California, Cal/OSHA issued guidance to assist in protecting employees. However, this guidance applies only to workplaces covered by the Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard, which is notable because the guidance itself states that “MPX spreads primarily by close or direct contact with infectious rashes, lesions, scabs,
CalOSHA
It’s Getting Hot In Here – Cal/OSHA Begins Enforcing Indoor Heat Safety Under Section 3203
Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard is well known by employers with employees who commonly work outside. And while there is no official indoor heat illness standard, employers still need to consider heat hazards when evaluating workplace safety, especially in light of Fed/OSHA’s National Emphasis Program (“NEP”) for Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards.
Although…
Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations Will Likely Continue in 2023
The current Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) expires at the end of 2022. But Cal/OSHA is not done with COVID-19 regulations. There is a Non-Emergency Regulation in process. The Standards Board recently published its proposed non-emergency regulation and announced a public hearing for September 15, 2022.
Though the proposal is a non-emergency regulation,…
Cal/OSHA Clarifies COVID-19 Close Contact Definition
In early June 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an order revising the definition of “close contact.” Under the CDPH order, close contact was defined as “someone sharing the same indoor airspace (e.g. home, clinic waiting room, airplane, etc.) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.”…
Governor Rolls Back California COVID-19 Executive Orders & Cal/OSHA Releases Draft Permanent COVID-19 Standard
On June 17, 2022, Governor Newsom issued an executive order terminating certain provisions of prior executive orders related to Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). Some of the terminated orders were no longer necessary due to changes in the ETS. For example, previously the Governor had issued an executive order stating exclusion periods could not…
Cal/OSHA Proposes an All-Industry Workplace Violence Prevention Standard. Are You Ready?
It may come as a surprise to some, but Cal/OSHA’s workplace violence regulations currently apply only to the Health Care Industry. Cal/OSHA plans to change that.
Right now, for non-healthcare industries, Cal/OSHA regulates workplace violence using the employer’s obligation to regularly identify and evaluate workplace hazards under Section 3203, California’s version of the general…
Beat the Heat and Citations – Review Your California Heat Illness Prevention Plan and Procedures
As we head into the summer months, employers with outdoor worksites in California may wish to review their Heat Illness Prevention Plans (HIPP) and obligations under Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard.
Covered Employers
As the name of the standard implies, Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard applies to all employers with an outdoor…
Cal/OSHA Releases Updated FAQs & Fact Sheets for Third Readoption of ETS
At the end of April, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to approve the Third Readoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). The revised version of the ETS took effect on May 6, 2022.
As promised when passed, Cal/OSHA has released updated guidance to assist with this version of the ETS that…
Cal/OSHA Approves the Third Readoption of Cal/OSHA ETS
On April 21, 2022, Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board voted to approve the Third Readoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).
The third adoption makes some changes to the ETS previously in effect. Some of the more significant changes include:
- Elimination of the requirement that face coverings pass the “light test” (g.does not
…
Cal/OSHA to Vote on Third Readoption of ETS
Though California has mostly lifted COVID-19 requirements statewide, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is not planning to let the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) expire. Per Governor Newsom’s executive order, the expiration of the second readoption of the ETS was extended to May 6, 2022, but the Cal/OSHA’s Standards Board has posted a notice that it…