Cal/OSHA Updates: COVID-19 Prevention

As of January 9, 2024, Cal/OSHA has issued a significant update regarding COVID-19 prevention, outlining non-emergency regulations that businesses need to be aware of.

Below are a few remaining obligations related to notification & reporting:

  • As with any serious injury or death occurring at work, employers must report information about employee deaths, serious injuries, and serious occupational illnesses due to COVID-19 to Cal/OSHA, consistent with existing regulations. 

    • Think in-person hospitalization or information received relating to a death stemming from infection at work

  • Employers must notify all employees, independent contractors, and employers with an employee who had close contact with a COVID-19 case. 

    • This is the same “685” notice for close contacts that has been in place since the beginning of the pandemic

  • Employers must exclude COVID-19 cases during the infectious period from the workplace.

    • CDPD updated their guidance on Isolation, and includes definitions (e.g. close contact)

As far as Workers’ Compensation claims reporting is concerned, you’ll report a COVID-19 case to the Carrier if the employee alleges they were infected at work seeking medical treatment - effectively the same as any other industrial injury. There is no more notice requirement to the Carrier to determine “outbreaks” and the rebuttable presumption expired on Jan.1, 2024.

Click here to read the full executive summary.

If you have any questions on how your COVID-19 prevention plan or how to handle reporting COVID-19 claims, please contact us.

Team ESMComment