As reported in the OMA’s COVID-19 Update this week, OSHA has issued updated guidance to help employers protect workers from the coronavirus. The updated guidance — which reflects the CDC’s revised recommendations — expands information on measures for protecting workers in higher-risk workplaces with mixed-vaccination status workers, including manufacturing facilities. OSHA’s updated guidance does the following:

• Recommends fully vaccinated workers in areas of substantial or high community transmission (currently all Ohio counties) wear masks to protect unvaccinated workers;
• Recommends fully vaccinated workers who have close contact with people with COVID-19 wear masks for up to 14 days unless they have a negative test at least 3-5 days after such contact; and
• Clarifies recommendations to protect unvaccinated workers and other at-risk workers in manufacturing and food processing facilities.

OSHA continues to emphasize that vaccination is the best step to protect workers, and says it will continue to review its COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard every 30 days. See summaries and analysis of the new guidance from OMA Connections Partners Calfee, Dinsmore, Fisher Phillips, Frantz Ward, and Roetzel. 8/17/2021