On November 30, 2020, Cal/OSHA adopted an Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) for COVID-19. After the adoption of the ETS, Cal/OSHA Consultation services moved forward quickly to provide guidance and assistance to employers on how to comply with the standard and address occupational safety and health concerns during the pandemic.

For example, Cal/OSHA Consultation sponsored half-day webinars targeted at company management. Cal/OSHA worked with workers’ compensation providers, brokers, and industry trade groups to provide these webinars.

Cal/OSHA Consultation conducted a total of 27 half-day webinars on the new ETS, including 15 webinars for a general audience and 12 industry-specific webinars. The 15 webinars for a general audience were attended by 2,859 people, affecting an estimated 44,500 workers.

The 12 industry-specific half-day webinars were as follows:

• Eight for the agriculture industry (six in English and two in Spanish) for 638 attendees (including 50 Spanish speakers), and affecting approximately 10,000 workers.
• Three for the meat processing industry (two in English and one in Spanish) for 89 attendees (including 4 Spanish speakers), and affecting approximately 3,900 workers.
• One for the food service industry (English) for 35 attendees, and affecting approximately 500 workers.

In addition to half-day webinars, Cal/OSHA Consultation conducted 17 shorter COVID-19 webinars for various trade organizations and one for Region 9 OSHA Training Institute Education Centers. These webinars were attended by 1,911 people and affected approximately 28,400 workers.

The OSHA On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, with priority given to high hazard worksites. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards and how to fix them, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, train and educate workers, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs. On-Site Consultation services are separate from OSHA enforcement efforts and do not result in penalties or citations. To locate the OSHA On-Site Consultation program nearest you, call 800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit https://www.osha.gov/Consultation.