New COVID-19-related workplace safety standards take effect
Rules changing for vaccinated and unvaccinated workers
–On Thursday, June 17 Cal OSHA adopted revised Emergency Temporary Standards, which govern COVID-19 safety requirements in California workplaces, including the county. The new requirements will become effective by end of day Friday, June 18. The county’s revised safety protocols will be effective this Monday, June 21.
What’s not changing?
Daily health screenings: All employees must continue to report any symptoms commonly associated with COVID that cannot be attributed to another condition or if they have had a known exposure to a confirmed case, regardless of vaccination status.
California’s travel quarantine: Employees who are not fully vaccinated prior to departing California for non-essential reasons must continue to quarantine at home for 10 days upon their return before returning to the workplace.
Updates
Physical distancing: Physical distancing is no longer required, indoors or outdoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Important mask updates: Fully vaccinated employees may work without a face covering in most indoor and outdoor settings once they have completed the vaccination attestation process (see below). Fully vaccinated employees may choose to continue to wear a face covering.
Exceptions: There are some situations identified by the CDC where face coverings are required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. All persons, including workers, must wear a face covering while inside a healthcare facility, correctional facility, congregate care facility, homeless shelter, or youth setting (K-12 schools). For youth settings, CDPH is closely monitoring anticipated updates from the CDC and will update recommendations at that time.
Unvaccinated employees: In addition to the above exceptions, employees who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a face-covering at all times while inside, unless they are alone in a closed room or office.
The definition for face covering has been updated to mean, “a surgical mask, a medical procedure mask, a respirator worn voluntarily, or a tightly woven fabric or non-woven material of at least two layers. A face covering has no visible holes or openings and must cover the nose and mouth. A face covering does not include a scarf, ski mask, bandana, turtleneck, collar, or single layer of fabric.”
Employees who are not fully vaccinated do not have to wear a face-covering outdoors but should wear a face-covering in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people who are not fully vaccinated.
Respirators: Upon request, the county will provide respirators for voluntary use to all employees who are not fully vaccinated and who are working indoors or in vehicles with more than one person. If you request a respirator, you will be provided with an N95 respirator of the correct size and provided training on how to ensure proper fitting and properly wear it. To request a respirator, please contact your department’s safety representative.
A respirator means, “a respiratory protection device approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to protect the wearer from particulate matter.”
Face covering exemptions: Employees with a documented medical condition that prevents them from wearing a face-covering will continue to be exempt. However, unvaccinated employees with this exemption must continue to maintain at least six feet distance from all other employees.
Vaccination attestation process
Per Cal OSHA, “fully vaccinated” means the employer has documented that the person received, at least 14 days prior, either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. If you are fully vaccinated, you must complete the self-attestation form prior to being exempt from the face-covering requirement at work beginning Monday, June 21.
Please complete the eForm located here and follow the directions provided. If you cannot access the form via the link, log in to NEOGOV, and click on “Forms” on the left-hand side of the dashboard.
Members of the public at county facilities: The county will not be asking for proof of vaccination from any members of the public entering county facilities. CDPH has advised that if a business has prominently displayed signage explaining the requirements for unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask and an individual enters the business premises without wearing a mask, the business may deem that customer, guest, or attendee to have self-attested to being vaccinated.
For more information around face coverings, refer to CDPH’s Face Coverings FAQs.
For more information around California’s Emergency Temporary Standards for the workplace, refer to Cal OSHA’s FAQs.
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