The Cal/OSHA Interim General Guidelines on Protecting Workers from COVID-19 course will educate employers and staff on the prevention of coronavirus exposure.
Cal/OSHA requires that workers with high risk for exposure to airborne infectious diseases such as COVID-19 follow protective regulations. Cal/OSHA has provided several requirements for organizations to follow to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
On December 15, 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board decided to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 regulations. These regulations took effect in January 2023 and are effective for two to three years.
What You’ll Learn
- Overview of the Cal/OSHA Interim General Guidelines
- Employers Covered by the Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard
- Cal/OSHA Regulations for Employers Not Covered by the ATD Standard
- How Employers Can Provide Training for Employees
- Washing Facilities and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Details
Course length: 30 minutes.
Languages: American English
Key features: Audio narration, learning activity, and post-assessment
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Cal/OSHA Provisions
This interim guidance provides employers and workers with information on how to prevent coronavirus exposure. This course provides several recommendations in line with employer and employee exposure control actions. Employers should ensure that employees have a complete understanding of health and safety procedures to protect all staff members.
ATD Standard Uses
Employers who are covered by the Aerosol Transmissible Disease (ATD) Standard must follow Cal/OSHA infection control requirements. This training details the specific types of organizations that the ATD Standard applies to. For example, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and laboratories are required to comply with the ATD Standard. There are several benefits of using the ATD Standard. Using infection control measures helps to reduce infectious disease exposure to staff in the workplace. Additionally, effective implementation of the ATD Standard will positively impact the health of the community as a whole. For more information on the benefits of the ATD Standard, please refer to this course.
Limits of the Cal/OSHA ATD Standard
The scope of the ATD Standard is limited to certain employers only. However, there are other Cal/OSHA regulations that apply to all employers.
Most workers in California, even if not covered by the Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Standard, must still follow these other regulations. One example of a required procedure for all employers is an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). The IIPP is an established program that all California employers must implement in order to protect employees from workplace hazards and infectious diseases. Instead of maintaining a standalone COVID-19 prevention plan, employers should establish a more comprehensive IIPP.
Employers must provide in-depth COVID-19 prevention training to all employees. Additionally, face covering and respirators must be made available.
This training provides several illness and injury prevention guidelines for employers. Employers and employees must always wear face coverings when at work. The CDPH offers in-depth guidance regarding employee face covering use. If the face covering requirement is lifted, employees can still choose to wear a face covering at work. For more information on recommended practices for employers, please take this course.
COVID-19 Cases
Even if a COVID-19 case has not developed symptoms, they may not return to work while they are infectious. If they develop symptoms, they must wait at least 10 days after symptom occurrence before returning to work.
Even if the individual is fully vaccinated, they must wear a face covering whenever they are at work before the allotted 10-day period. These requirements apply to all employees. Employees who engaged in infection prevention precautions but still became exposed must follow all of these regulations. For more information on COVID-19 cases, please refer to this training.
Employee Training Required by Cal/OSHA
Employees should feel comfortable on general COVID-19 information, symptoms, and proper medical services. Additionally, proper information regarding disease transmission must be disseminated. This course details several prevention actions that organizations can take to reduce community COVID-19 levels. All organizations should utilize basic health and hygiene practices, such as regular handwashing. The CDC recommends that staff members remain up to date on all COVID-19 vaccinations.
Also, all staff must follow proper cough and sneeze etiquette. Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after coming into contact with people or surfaces. There are additional requirements for food facilities. All workers should avoid touching their faces with dirty hands.
Washing Facilities
Facilities must implement proper handwashing resources regardless of their individual COVID-19 risk. These resources include adequate cleaning supplies, water, and hand towels or blowers. Also, personal protective equipment (PPE) can be an important measure to keep workers safe. Employers should conduct a hazard assessment to determine what type of PPE is needed within the workplace.
This training gives employers several recommendations regarding PPE use. All PPE must fit properly and be sanitary in order to effectively protect against hazards. Healthcare workers in addition to cleaning staff should wear appropriate PPE at all times.
