On December 27, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that it intends to continue work on issuing a final standard that will protect healthcare workers from COVID-19 hazards. However, in a statement the agency said that it is withdrawing the non-recordkeeping portions of the healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).
At the same time, the COVID-19 log and reporting provisions remain in effect. These provisions were adopted under a separate provision of the OSH Act, section 8, and OSHA found “good cause” to forgo notice and comment in light of the grave danger presented by the pandemic.
With the rise of the omicron variant, the agency is prioritizing the safety of healthcare workers and efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. OSHA strongly encourages all healthcare employers to continue to implement the ETS’s requirements to protect employees from a hazard that too often causes death or serious physical harm to employees.
