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Difference between revisions of "Cal/OSHA Approves the Third Readoption of the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS)"

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<li>Employers must provide effective training and instruction to employees on how COVID-19 is spread, infection prevention techniques, and information regarding COVID-19-related benefits that affected employees may be entitled to under applicable federal, state, or local laws.</li>
 
<li>Employers must provide effective training and instruction to employees on how COVID-19 is spread, infection prevention techniques, and information regarding COVID-19-related benefits that affected employees may be entitled to under applicable federal, state, or local laws.</li>
 
 
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Employers are encouraged to periodically review the CDPH Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine to ensure compliance with quarantine and isolation requirements.
 
Employers are encouraged to periodically review the CDPH Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine to ensure compliance with quarantine and isolation requirements.
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==Specific Rules for COVID-19 Cases==
 
==Specific Rules for COVID-19 Cases==
  
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<ul>
 
<ul>
 
 
<li>Employees who are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving may return to work:
 
<li>Employees who are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving may return to work:
 
 
<ul>
 
<ul>
 
 
<li>Five (5) days after the date the symptoms began or, if the employee does not develop symptoms, from the date of the first positive test;</li>
 
<li>Five (5) days after the date the symptoms began or, if the employee does not develop symptoms, from the date of the first positive test;</li>
 
 
<li>At least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher has resolved without the use of fever reducing medicine; and </li>
 
<li>At least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher has resolved without the use of fever reducing medicine; and </li>
 
 
<li>A negative test collected from a specimen on the 5th day or later is obtained.  If the employee is unable to test, or the employer doesn’t require a test, 10 days must have passed from the date the symptoms began or, if the person does not develop symptoms, from the date of the positive test.</li>
 
<li>A negative test collected from a specimen on the 5th day or later is obtained.  If the employee is unable to test, or the employer doesn’t require a test, 10 days must have passed from the date the symptoms began or, if the person does not develop symptoms, from the date of the positive test.</li>
 
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
 
 
</li>
 
</li>
 
 
<li>Employees with COVID-19 symptoms that are not resolving, may return to:
 
<li>Employees with COVID-19 symptoms that are not resolving, may return to:
 
 
<ul>
 
<ul>
 
 
<li>When at least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher has resolved without the use of fever reducing medication; and</li>
 
<li>When at least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher has resolved without the use of fever reducing medication; and</li>
 
<li>Symptoms are resolving or ten (10) days have passed since the symptoms first began.</li>
 
<li>Symptoms are resolving or ten (10) days have passed since the symptoms first began.</li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
 
 
</li>
 
</li>
 
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
  
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The return-to-work criteria apply regardless of whether an employee has previously been excluded or other precautions taken in response to an employee’s close contact or membership in an exposed group.
 
The return-to-work criteria apply regardless of whether an employee has previously been excluded or other precautions taken in response to an employee’s close contact or membership in an exposed group.
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==Persons Who Should Isolate==
 
==Persons Who Should Isolate==
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        <th style="width:25%; border:2px solid #234b75; background:#418ddc; padding:20px;"><p style="margin-bottom:0; font-weight:bold; text-align:center; color:#f6f6f6;">Persons Who Test Positive for COVID-19
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</p></th> 
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        <th style="width:25%; border:2px solid #234b75; background:#418ddc; padding:20px;"><p style="margin-bottom:0; font-weight:bold; text-align:center; color:#f6f6f6;">Recommended Actions</p></th>
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        <td style="width:25%; border:2px solid #234b75; padding:20px; background:#ffffff;">
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        <p>Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection or lack of symptoms</p>
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        <ul>
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<li><strong>Stay home</strong> (PDF) for at least five days after start of symptoms (or after date of first positive test if no symptoms).</li>
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<li>Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving a diagnostic specimen* collected on day 5 or later tests negative.</li>
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<li>If unable to test, choosing not to test, or testing positive on day 5 (or later), isolation can end after day 10 if fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.</li>
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<li>If fever is present, isolation should be continued until 24 hours after fever resolves.</li>
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<li>If symptoms, other than fever, are not resolving, continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after day 10.</li>
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<li>·      Per CDPH masking guidance, infected persons should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially indoor settings (see masking section below for additional information).</li>
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</ul>
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*Antigen test preferred.
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==Close Contacts – General Public (No Quarantine)==
 
==Close Contacts – General Public (No Quarantine)==

Revision as of 17:16, 10 May 2022

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On April 21, Cal/OSHA held a public hearing and re-adopted a modified version of the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that originally went into effect on November 30, 2020. According to Cal/OSHA, the third revision takes effect on May 7, 2022 and will remain in effect through December 31, 2022. The revised ETS can be found here. https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/documents/Apr212022-COVID-19-Prevention-Emergency-txtbrdconsider-3rd-Readoption.pdf

The Frequently Asked Questions have also been updated and can be found here. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/Revisions-FAQ.pdf

As a reminder the ETS applies to all employees not covered by Cal/OSHA’s Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard.

Many of the provisions from the second readoption remain in effect but several significant changes have been made that employers must implement. We have fully reported on each readoption of the ETS and employers can read about all prior ETS revisions above.

The third readoption is the final ETS that Cal/OSHAS can issue on an emergency basis unless Governor Newsome issues another executive order authorizing it. Assuming no executive order is issued, the Board could consider a permanent infectious disease standard for general industry. The April 21, public hearing included significant debate about what a permanent standard would look like. Discussion included whether it would be a permanent infectious disease standard, expansion of the aerosol transmissible disease standard and/or amendment of the Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) standard. We will update this section when, and if, a final, permanent version is introduced.

The third readoption continues Cal/OSHA’s alignment of ETS provisions with the CDPH regarding isolation, quarantine and return to work guidelines.

Cal/OSHA has prepared two (2) fact sheets. The first, is a bullet point checklist of changes to the ETS and can be found here. https://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/dosh_publications/COVIDOnePageFS-04-21-2022.pdf The second factsheet summarizes isolation and quarantine guidelines and can be found here. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/Isolation-and-Quarantine-fs.pdf

Provisions that Remain the Same

  1. Employers must establish, implement, and maintain an effective written COVID-19 Prevention Program that includes:
    • Identifying and evaluating employee exposures to COVID-19 health hazards
    • Implementing effective policies and procedures to correct unsafe and unhealthy conditions
    • Allowing adequate time for handwashing
  2. Employers must provide effective training and instruction to employees on how COVID-19 is spread, infection prevention techniques, and information regarding COVID-19-related benefits that affected employees may be entitled to under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Below are the key changes:

The Definition of Vaccination Status is Removed

The third readoption eliminates the definition of “fully vaccinated” and now all ETS provisions are applicable regardless of vaccination status. Now all employees may request a respirator for voluntary use and employers must offer COVID-19 testing available, at no cost, to all employees exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms during employees paid time. In previous versions of the ETS only non-vaccinated employees were entitled to an employer provided respirator and employers were only required to offer testing to unvaccinated employees. Employers are now required to foot the bill for testing all employees who may have been exposed outside the workplace.

No Set Rules for Close Contact Exclusion

The ETS directs employers to adhere to the CDPH guidelines for exclusion of close contacts. Currently, the CDPH doesn’t require exclusion of close contacts, unless in high risk exposure settings defined as emergency shelters, healthcare settings, local correctional and detention centers, homeless shelters, and long term care settings and adult and senior care facilities. The CDPH does recommend close contacts be tested within 3-5 days after last exposure. No exclusion is required unless the close contact develops symptoms or tests positive. All close contacts should wear face coverings for 10 days. See CDPH Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine can be found here. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Guidance-on-Isolation-and-Quarantine-for-COVID-19-Contact-Tracing.aspx

The ETS didn’t eliminate exclusion pay per se but exclusion pay for close contacts is currently not required under the CDPH except when (1) a close contact develops symptoms subsequent to the work exposure and is seeking a diagnosis; (2) the employer excludes the close contact from the workplace when there’s no requirement to do so; or (3) the CDPH or local public health authority excludes the close contact.

At the public hearing on April 21, Cal/OSHA clarified that the CDPH definition of “close contact”, which is broader than the ETS definition, will not govern or change the definition of close contact in the ETS. The ETS defines “close contact” as being within six feet of a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more in any 24-hour period that overlaps with the infectious period of the COVID-19 case. Cal/OSHA stated that only an order or regulation issued by the CDPH (and not merely guidance) would supersede the ETS definition of close contact.

Businesses must still develop, implement, and maintain policies to prevent transmission of COVID-19 by persons who had close contacts.

Employers are encouraged to periodically review the CDPH Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine to ensure compliance with quarantine and isolation requirements.

Specific Rules for COVID-19 Cases

The ETS clarifies the quarantine and return to work requirements for COVID-19 cases, i.e., those employees who test positive. The ETS confirmed that exclusion and return to work criteria will follow the CDPH recommendations. Therefore, if the CDPH changes its guidance, that guidance will supersede the ETS requirements. COVID-19 cases are treated the same regardless of vaccination status or previous infection and the CDPH current guidelines regarding return to work are as follows:

  • Employees who are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving may return to work:
    • Five (5) days after the date the symptoms began or, if the employee does not develop symptoms, from the date of the first positive test;
    • At least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher has resolved without the use of fever reducing medicine; and
    • A negative test collected from a specimen on the 5th day or later is obtained. If the employee is unable to test, or the employer doesn’t require a test, 10 days must have passed from the date the symptoms began or, if the person does not develop symptoms, from the date of the positive test.
  • Employees with COVID-19 symptoms that are not resolving, may return to:
    • When at least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher has resolved without the use of fever reducing medication; and
    • Symptoms are resolving or ten (10) days have passed since the symptoms first began.

Finally, a COVID-19 case must wear a face covering in the workplace until ten (10) days have passed since the symptoms first began or, if the person did not have symptoms, from the date of their first positive test.

The return-to-work criteria apply regardless of whether an employee has previously been excluded or other precautions taken in response to an employee’s close contact or membership in an exposed group.

Persons Who Should Isolate

Persons Who Test Positive for COVID-19

Recommended Actions

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection or lack of symptoms

  • Stay home (PDF) for at least five days after start of symptoms (or after date of first positive test if no symptoms).
  • Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving a diagnostic specimen* collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
  • If unable to test, choosing not to test, or testing positive on day 5 (or later), isolation can end after day 10 if fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
  • If fever is present, isolation should be continued until 24 hours after fever resolves.
  • If symptoms, other than fever, are not resolving, continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after day 10.
  • · Per CDPH masking guidance, infected persons should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially indoor settings (see masking section below for additional information).
  • Antigen test preferred.




Close Contacts – General Public (No Quarantine)

Face Coverings

Types of Acceptable COVID-19 Tests Broadened

Contaminated Surfaces No Longer a Hazard

Outbreaks and Major Outbreaks

Returned Cases – Applicable to Outbreaks

We expect Cal/OSHA and the CDPH to continue to modify guidelines as circumstances change so check back regularly for updated guidance.

Appendix: California COVID-19 Vaccines Booster Recommendations

COVID-19 vaccine

Primary vaccination series

When does a person becomes booster-eligible

Which vaccine booster dose to receive

Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech

1st and 2nd doses

6 months after 2nd dose

Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States may be used for the booster dose, but either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech are preferred.

Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen

1st dose

2 months after 1st dose

Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States may be used for the booster dose, but either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech are preferred.

World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use listing COVID-19 vaccine

All recommended doses

6 months after getting all recommended doses

Single booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

A mix and match series composed of any combination of FDA-approved, FDA-authorized, or WHO-EUL COVID-19 vaccines

All recommended doses

6 months after getting all recommended doses

Single booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine



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