By HFT Staff

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled an informal public hearing to seek comments on topics related to a final standard to protect healthcare and healthcare support service workers from workplace exposure to the COVID-19 virus. The hearing will begin on April 27, 2022, and take place online. 

OSHA issued an emergency temporary standard to protect workers in healthcare settings from occupational exposure to COVID-19 on June 21, 2021. The Emergency Temporary Standard focused on healthcare workers most likely to have contact with people infected with the virus. The agency is reopening the rulemaking record to allow for new data and comments on topics, including the following: 

• alignment with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for healthcare infection control procedures 
• tailoring controls to address interactions with people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 
• employer support for employees who wish to be vaccinated 
• limited coverage of construction activities in healthcare settings 
• COVID-19 recordkeeping and reporting provisions 
• The health effects and risk of COVID-19 since the ETS was issued. 

As OSHA works towards a permanent regulatory solution, employers must continue to comply with their obligations under the General Duty Clause, Personal Protective Equipment and Respiratory Protection Standards, and other applicable OSHA standards to protect their employees against the hazard of COVID-19 in the workplace.