Workplace Exposures

Washington — OSHA has published an overview of its most common COVID-19-related citations – and a reminder of employer requirements.

Salem, OR — An emergency temporary standard intended to protect workers in Oregon from exposure to COVID-19 is set to go into effect Nov. 16.

Washington — Aimed at ensuring proper ventilation in indoor workplaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new OSHA safety alert lists measures employers and building managers should take.

New York — Exposure to pollutants such as vehicle exhaust, pesticides and wood smoke may be linked to structural and functional heart abnormalities that could lead to cardiovascular disease among Latino workers, results of a recent study published by the American Heart Association indicate.

San Francisco — The Washington State Nurses Association is among four labor unions suing Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and OSHA in an effort to compel the agency to move forward with rulemaking on an infectious diseases standard that would require employers in the health care industry to protect workers from exposure to harmful infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and influenza.

Trenton, NJ — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Oct. 28 signed an Executive Order that will require all employers in the state to follow health and safety protocols designed to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19.

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed part of its criteria for COVID-19 contact tracing, altering its definition of “close contact.”

Sacramento, CA — A bill signed into law Sept. 29 by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will require certain hospitals in the state to create and maintain at least a three-month supply of personal protective equipment, and ensure nurses and other health care workers use the PPE supplied to them.

Washington — In an effort to dispel “incorrect claims” about the efficacy of N95 respirators to protect wearers against COVID-19 infection, OSHA has added a section on respirators and particle size to its series of answers to frequently asked questions on protecting workers from exposure to the coronavirus.

Washington — NIOSH has extended until Dec. 14 the comment period for a Request for Information on the deployment and use of elastomeric half-mask respirators in health care settings and emergency medical services organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.