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Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 healthcare workers

['Infectious Diseases']
Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 healthcare workers
  • The ETS is intended to protect workers in health-care settings, since they face some of the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19.

The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for health-care workers is aimed at protecting workers facing the highest COVID-19 hazards — those working in health-care settings where suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients are treated. This includes employees in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities; emergency responders; home health-care workers; and employees in ambulatory care settings where suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients are treated. The ETS exempts fully vaccinated workers from masking, distancing, and barrier requirements when in well-defined areas where there is no reasonable expectation that any person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 will be present. The following are a few highlights of some of the new requirements of the ETS; employers should consult the standard for full details.

COVID-19 plan

Employers should conduct a hazard assessment and implement a COVID-19 plan for each workplace. Engage employees in the development of the plan.

Patient screening and management

Workers must screen and triage patients, clients, residents, delivery people and other visitors and nonemployees entering the setting for symptoms of COVID-19. Patient management strategies should be implemented.

Standard and transmission-based precautions

Employers should develop and implement policies and procedures to adhere to Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Employers must provide and ensure employees wear facemasks when indoors and when occupying a vehicle with another person for work purposes.

Aerosol-generating procedures on a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19

Employers must provide and ensure employees wear respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for exposure to people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and for aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) on a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Respirators and other PPE should be provided in accordance with Standard and Transmission Based Precautions.

Physical distancing

Employees should be kept at least 6 feet apart from all other people when indoors.

Physical barriers

Cleanable or disposable solid barriers should be installed at fixed workspaces in non-patient areas where employees are not separated from others by at least 6 feet.

Cleaning and disinfection

Employers should follow standard practices for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment in accordance with CDC guidelines in patient care areas, resident rooms, and for medical devices and equipment. In all other areas, high-touch surfaces and equipment should be cleaned at least once a day. Employers should provide alcohol-based hand rub that is at least 60 percent alcohol or provide readily accessible handwashing facilities.

Ventilation

Employers should ensure that employer-owned or controlled heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are used according to manufacturer’s instructions and design specifications, and that air filters are rated Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 or higher if the system allows it.

Health screening and medical management

Employees should be screened for COVID-19 before each workday and shift.

Employers must notify certain employees if a person who has been in the workplace is COVID-19 positive.

Employers should remove any employees who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19, certain COVID-19 symptoms, or have had close contact to a person who is COVID-19 positive in the workplace. In some cases, pay and benefits should be provided to employees removed from the workplace.

Employers should provide reasonable time and paid leave for vaccinations and vaccine side effects (offset by tax credits for employers with fewer than 500 employees).

Training

Employees must be trained on workplace policies and procedures regarding COVID-19 in a language they understand.

COVID-19 log

Employers must record all employee cases of COVID-19 on a COVID-19 log without regard to occupational exposure. Employers must report work-related COVID-19 fatalities to OSHA within eight hours of employer knowledge and work-related COVID-19 in-patient hospitalizations within 24 hours.