CalOSHA Updates Close Contact Definition for COVID-19 Workplace Prevention
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (CalOSHA) adopted amendments to the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) for workplace safety on May 7, 2022 that are affective until December 31, 2022.
The new revision mirrors the Governor Newsom’s Executive Order to automatically align workplace standards with CA Department of Public Health (CDPH) requirements and guidance for isolation and quarantine periods.
Recently, CDPH released new guidance that includes an updated definition of "close contact." Previously close contact was defined as an exposure to a COVID-19 case within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more.
However, the new definition shifts to considering anyone in the same "indoor space" as a close contact. This vague definition could include employees in a whole building or warehouse who did not have direct contact with a COVID-19 case but were located in the same enclosed space.
Close contact defined by CDPH:
Someone sharing the same indoor airspace, e.g., home, clinic waiting room, airplane etc., for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes) during an infected person's (laboratory-confirmed or a clinical diagnosis) Infectious period.
CTA's COVID-19 Illness Prevention Guide has been updated to reflect the change in our and is available for purchase.
Keep your business compliant with CalOSHA’s ETS and obtain your copy here.
