['Personal Protective Equipment', 'Infectious Diseases']
['Infectious Diseases', 'Hand Protection', 'COVID-19', 'Personal Protective Equipment', 'Eye and Face Protection', 'Respiratory Protection']
10/04/2024
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There is no comprehensive OSHA standard covering Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, some OSHA requirements may apply to preventing occupational exposure to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, the virus that causes COVID-19. Among the most relevant are:
- Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, 29 USC 654(a)(1), known as the General Duty Clause. This statute requires employers to furnish to each worker “employment and a place of employment, which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standards for general industry. These standards require the selection and use of gloves, eye and face protection, and respiratory protection, for example, when necessary to protect against a hazard when other control measures are insufficient. When respirators are necessary to protect workers, employers must implement a respiratory protection program per 29 CFR 1910.134, the Respiratory Protection Standard. However, if the only use is voluntary use of a dust mask (e.g., N95), employers only have to provide to the employee a copy of Appendix D to 1910.134. On the other hand, if an employee uses any other type of respirator on a voluntary basis, then more stringent controls must be in place, including medical evaluation.
- 29 CFR 1910.502(q)(2)(ii), (q)(3)(ii)-(iv), and (r), Healthcare standards. These provisions require covered employers to report COVID-19 fatalities and hospitalizations to OSHA and to establish a COVID-19 log of all employee instances of COVID-19 without regard to occupational exposure and follow requirements for making records available to employees.
- 29 CFR 1904, Recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses;
- 29 CFR 1910.141, Sanitation;
- 29 CFR 1910.145, Specifications for accident prevention signs and tags;
- 29 CFR 1910.142, Temporary labor camps;
- 29 CFR 1910.1020, Access to employee exposure and medical records;
- 29 CFR 1910.1450, Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories;
- 29 CFR 1915.88, Sanitation;
- 29 CFR 1915.91, Accident prevention signs and tags;
- 29 CFR 1915.152, General requirements (for personal protective equipment);
- 29 CFR 1915.154, Respiratory protection;
- 29 CFR 1915.157, Hand and body protection;
- 29 CFR 1915.1020, Access to employee exposure and medical records;
- 29 CFR 1917.1, Scope and applicability (regarding employee exposure/medical records and respiratory protection);
- 29 CFR 1917.127, Sanitation;
- 29 CFR 1918.1, Scope and application (regarding employee exposure/medical records and respiratory protection);
- 29 CFR 1918.95, Sanitation;
- 29 CFR 1926.33, Access to employee exposure and medical records;
- 29 CFR 1926.51, Sanitation;
- 29 CFR 1926.95, Criteria for personal protective equipment;
- 29 CFR 1926.102, Eye and face protection;
- 29 CFR 1926.103, Respiratory protection;
- 29 CFR 1928.21, Applicable standards in 29 CFR part 1910 (regarding temporary labor camps);
- 29 CFR 1928.110, Field sanitation; and
- 29 CFR 29 CFR 1960, Basic program elements for federal employee occupational safety and health programs and related matters.
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) applies to occupational exposure to human blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) that typically do not include respiratory secretions that may contain SARS-CoV-2 (unless visible blood is present). However, the provisions of the standard offer a framework that may help control some sources of the virus, including exposures to body fluids (e.g., respiratory secretions) not covered by the standard.
Employers must also protect their employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection. Employers should be aware that common sanitizers and sterilizers could contain hazardous chemicals. Where employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals, employers must comply with OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), Personal Protective Equipment standards, and other applicable OSHA chemical standards.
Codified at 29 USC 660(c), section 11(c) of the OSH Act prohibits employers from retaliating against workers for exercising a variety of rights guaranteed under the Act, such as filing a health complaint with OSHA, raising a health concern with their employers, participating in an OSHA inspection, or reporting a work-related illness.
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['Personal Protective Equipment', 'Infectious Diseases']
['Infectious Diseases', 'Hand Protection', 'COVID-19', 'Personal Protective Equipment', 'Eye and Face Protection', 'Respiratory Protection']
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Copyright 2024 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.