Cal/OSHA Updates Guidance on COVID-19 Emergency Standard

Last weekend, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) posted fact sheets and an update to its frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS).

The fact sheets and updated COVID-19 ETS FAQs reflect the latest revisions to the ETS that incorporate updated guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and make the ETS more flexible if changes are made to CDPH guidance in the future.

As previously reported, the latest revisions, a third readoption of the ETS, were approved by the Cal/OSHA Standards Board on April 21, 2022. The previous version had been set to expire on May 6, 2022.

On May 5, 2022, just before the ETS expired, the Office of Administrative Law approved the third ETS readoption and filed it with the California Secretary of State.

The updated ETS will remain in effect through December 31, 2022.

The major changes to the ETS were outlined in last week’s Alert article and include changes to ETS definitions, revised testing and face covering rules, and updated return-to-work protocols.

The fact sheets posted include:

• What Employers Need to Know About the April 21, 2022 Standards;

COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine – What Employers and Workers Need to Know (Updated May 6, 2022);

Revisions to the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (Effective May 6, 2022) – FAQs.

Employers should review the new guidance and monitor Cal/OSHA guidance and resources for further updates, including an updated COVID-19 Model Prevention Program, which likely will be posted soon.

CalChamber Member Resources

CalChamber members can use the updated COVID-19 Prevention Program Checklist and the COVID-19 Workplace Exposure Notification Checklists on HRCalifornia. Not a member? See what CalChamber can do for you.

Staff Contact: James Ward

James W. Ward
James W. Ward
James W. Ward joined the CalChamber in June 2019 as an employment law subject matter expert/legal writer and editor. He enhances the ongoing efforts of the CalChamber legal affairs team to explain for nonlawyers how statutes, regulations and court cases affect California businesses and employers. Ward came to the CalChamber following his time as an associate attorney at Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard of Sacramento, where he provided advice and counsel to public and private employers on labor and employment matters. He holds a B.A. in humanities, magna cum laude, and an M.A. in history from California State University, Sacramento. He earned his J.D. with great distinction from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific.

Related Articles

Cal/OSHA Releases Proposed Workplace Inspection ‘Walkaround’ Rule

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) recently published a proposed rule broadly defining who may accompany Cal/OSHA representatives during workplace safety inspections. Cal/OSHA will accept written comments on this proposed rule...

Personal Protective Equipment Standard Change Mirrors Federal Update

I understand that there have been changes to the federal standard for the use of personal protective equipment in construction. What was the process and what are the changes for California? The state Occupational Safety...

CalChamber Weighs in on Cal/OSHA Processes

A joint hearing of several legislative committees this week on Cal/OSHA processes provided an opportunity for the California Chamber of Commerce to flag a few employer concerns about the agency. In testimony at the August...