Infectious Disease

By Conn Maciel Carey’s COVID-19 Task Force

As we have been updating you about here, on July 27th, the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSH) adopted a COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). There are some important deadlines fast approaching under that new rule:

Conduct a COVID-19 Hazard Assessment to categorize the risk exposures at the workplace (due by Aug. 26^th);
Deliver the first of two COVID-19 employee training events (due by Aug. 26^th); and
Implement a written infectious disease preparedness and response plan (due by Sept. 25^th).

We have been helping our clients quickly get up to speed on the new emergency rule. As part of that effort, we co-hosted a webinar with the head of VOSH’s Consultation Program and also prepared an FAQ document about the new rule.

But while everyone is scrambling to come into compliance with the emergency rule, we want to highlight another big development with the Virginia rule that has a fast-approaching deadline – that is, VOSH’s effort to prepare a permanent infectious disease standard.

The ETS is, of course, just a temporary standard, but by regulation, VOSH is required to commence a rulemaking to promulgate a permanent standard soon after issuing an ETS. By publication of the ETS in July, VOSH simultaneously gave notice that the Standards Board intends to adopt a permanent infectious disease standard, and the ETS serves as the proposed rule. Here is a link to the Proposed Permanent Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention. The agency intends to finalize the permanent rule within six months, with an effective date no later than January 27, 2021.