OSHA Updates Guidance for Protecting Workers from COVID-19
/On August 13, 2021, OSHA updated its COVID-19 guidance for employers—Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace—to incorporate guidance from the CDC’s July 27, 2021, revised mask recommendations for vaccinated individuals.
Importantly, OSHA’s guidance now recommends:
Policies: Employers should consider adopting policies requiring workers to get vaccinated. In addition, unvaccinated workers should undergo regular COVID-19 testing, wear masks and practice physical distancing.
Mask Wearing: Fully vaccinated workers in areas of the country with substantial or high community transmission should wear masks in the workplace to help prevent further spread of the COVID-19 through the Delta variant. See COVID-19 Integrated County View Data Tracker.
Exposure: Fully vaccinated workers who experience a known close contact exposure to COVID-19 should wear masks for at least 14 days or until they receive a negative result for a COVID test taken at least three days after the known exposure.
New York Guidance
The current NYS Guidance indicates that the CDC’s recommendations are only the minimum requirements, and that employers can implement more stringent requirements.
Given new information on the Delta variant, and to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, best practices would be to follow the updated recommendations of the CDC and OSHA requiring mask wearing for vaccinated and unvaccinated employees.
GNYADA thanks NADA for portions of information in this bulletin. Dealers can also view NADA’s FAQs: Dealership Health and Safety Concerns During a Pandemic for more guidance.
If you have additional questions about OSHA's updated COVID-19 guidance call GNYADA's Dealer Hotline at 718.746.5900.
August 25, 2022
