June 30, 2021
Contact: Office of Communications
Phone: 202-693-1999

OSHA issues compliance directive for enforcing emergency temporary
standard to protect healthcare workers from coronavirus

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a compliance directive designed to ensure uniform inspection and enforcement procedures for its Emergency Temporary Standard to protect healthcare workers from occupational exposures to COVID-19.

The new directive provides OSHA compliance safety and health officers with guidance and procedures on how to enforce the standard's requirements for:

• Written COVID-19 plan
• Patient/Non-employee screening and management
• Personal protective equipment
• Aerosol-generating procedures
• Physical distancing
• Physical barriers
• Cleaning and disinfecting
• Ventilation
• Employee health screening and medical management
• Vaccination
• Training
• Anti-retaliation
• Requirements at no cost
• Recordkeeping
• Reporting to OSHA

The ETS became effective June 21, 2021. Employers must comply with most provisions by July 6, 2021, and with training, ventilation, and barrier provisions by July 21, 2021.

Learn more about the COVID-19 Healthcare ETS.

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