COMPLIANCE ALERT: OSHA’s COVID-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard

Health care employers should familiarize themselves with OSHA’s new COVID-19 ETS. Employers subject to the ETS requirements must implement all policies, measures and procedures necessary for compliance with the new standard. Employers are encouraged to visit OSHA’s COVID-19 Healthcare ETS website for compliance guidance and resources.

Employers should continue to monitor OSHA communications for updates on workplace safety and health issues.

Employers Subject to the ETS

The ETS applies to all settings where employees provide health care services or health care support services, except for:

• The provision of first aid by an employee who is not a licensed health care provider;
• The dispensing of prescriptions by pharmacists in retail settings;
• Non-hospital ambulatory care settings where all non-employees are screened prior to entry and people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not permitted to enter those settings;
• Well-defined hospital ambulatory care settings where all employees are fully vaccinated and all non-employees are screened prior to entry and people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not permitted to enter those settings;
• Home health care settings where all employees are fully vaccinated and all non-employees are screened prior to entry and people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not present;
• Health care support services not performed in a health care setting (off-site laundry, off-site medical billing, for example); and
• Telehealth services performed outside of a setting where direct patient care occurs.