Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is weighing several changes to the health care Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) as it advances toward a permanent rule on COVID-19 protocols. OSHA is seeking stakeholder feedback on the potential changes, and notes in its public notice that no final decisions have been made. Among the changes OSHA […]
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is moving forward with plans to issue a permanent rule aimed at requiring employees of large businesses to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing. OSHA announced on January 25 it is withdrawing the emergency temporary standard (ETS) it issued on November 5 and that […]
While employers wait to learn the fate of a COVID-19 vaccination rule, they’re being advised to continue making plans for how to comply with the federal government’s plan aimed at stemming transmission of the virus in the workplace. In separate hearings, the U.S Supreme Court on January 7 heard arguments both pro and con on […]
While a file rule is still expected in the future, OSHA announced Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, that it has withdrawn the non-recordkeeping portions of the health care emergency temporary standard (ETS). The COVID-19 log and reporting provisions remain in effect. “These provisions were adopted under a separate provision of the OSH Act, section 8, and […]
Employers with more than 100 employees have begun scrambling to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new emergency temporary standard (ETS) for COVID-19 vaccinations and testing. To learn more about five things larger employers should do to adhere to the new rules, read on. How We Got Here OSHA’s ETS, announced on November […]
President Biden’s recently announced that all healthcare workers, and employees at companies with over 100 employees must implement vaccine mandates. This announcement has some employers “scrambling,” according to James P. Reidy, an attorney with Sheehan Phinney in Manchester, New Hampshire. They’re asking how the 100-employee threshold is defined, what industries are included, and when the […]
With the new Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for health care settings, agencies will want to review the requirements to make sure they are in compliance. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a variety of tools to assist providers, including a worksite checklist. Other tools include: COVID-19 Plan Template Sample COVID-19 Log Employer […]
The U.S. Department of Labor announced funding opportunities for more than $21 million in Occupational Safety and Health Administration training grants for nonprofit organizations, according to a news release. Applicants must develop training that focuses on specific program emphasis areas in order to be eligible for these grants. According to the release, these areas are: […]
On March 21, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a national emphasis program (NEP) to focus its enforcement efforts on preventing employees from contracting COVID-19 and protecting those who report unsafe working conditions. In general, an NEP is a method by which OSHA temporarily focuses its resources on a specific danger or […]
Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidance titled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.” The new guidance, which is advisory, addresses not only some of the more commonplace safety practices but also other employment policies and practices not as readily associated with workplace safety.As […]