Is COVID-19 still a thing, and does OSHA care about it? Yes and yes. We all know that COVID-19 is still around. On the OSHA front, the agency seems to be focused less exclusively on COVID-19 and plans to take a broader approach.
Refresher on OSHA’s Work During the Pandemic
On June 21, 2021, OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19. The ETS also served as a proposed rule for a permanent standard to address COVID-19 exposure in healthcare settings. OSHA submitted a draft final rule to the Office of Management and Budget in December 2022. However, the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, and the resources needed to finalize a separate COVID-19 standard grew, which resulted in a House Joint Resolution terminating the national emergency and OSHA terminating the rulemaking.
Now What?
OSHA determined that a more effective strategy would be to create a broader infectious diseases standard for healthcare workers. This new standard will cover multiple infectious diseases, including COVID-19, offering more comprehensive protections for healthcare workers. As a result, effective January 15, 2025, OSHA has decided to terminate its COVID-19 rulemaking and focus instead on this broader infectious diseases standard, rather than a disease-specific approach. On February 5, 2025, OSHA issued a memorandum that it will not enforce the COVID-19 recordkeeping and reporting requirements.