Californians Wait for Revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Over the past few weeks, Californians have eagerly awaited news from the State’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Standards Board) on revisions to Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its latest guidance that ease mask wearing for those who are fully vaccinated.

On June 3, 2021, the seven-member Standards Board first voted to deny a revised set of standards that would place additional requirements on business owners and most notably prevent fully vaccinated employees from being able to take off their masks in the workplace if everyone in the room was not vaccinated. However, in the same meeting, the Standards Board voted a second time which led to the approval of the revised standards which were set to go into effect no later than June 15, 2021 when the State is scheduled to fully reopen.

With pressure from businesses, community groups and California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Standards Board held an emergency meeting on June 9, 2021, where they unanimously voted to rescind the proposed standards previously approved on June 3, 2021.

If all of this sounds confusing, you are not alone.

As of the publication of this article on June 15, 2021, business owners should be following the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards that were adopted in November 2020 and May 3, 2021’s Executive Order N-84-20 which allows for fully vaccinated people who have been exposed to a COVID-19 case, but show no symptoms, to remain in the workplace. Rancho Mesa has created a COVID-19 Prevention Plan template based on those requirements. It is available for download.

The Standards Board is scheduled to meet on June 17, 2021 where it is expected they will propose new standards that are more in line with the CDC’s masking recommendations. The agenda provides information on how to attend the virtual meeting.

When changes are made to the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards, Rancho Mesa will update its COVID-19 Prevention Plan template and make it available to the public.

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