The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division on Monday announced reduced COVID-19 protections for employer accommodations, removing provisions deemed “no longer appropriate for this stage of the pandemic.”
The changes, which took effect Oct. 7, were a response to the state’s Feb. 28 announcement of updated health advisories and instructions from the Oregon Health Authority and followed a series of public hearings.
The changes included removing the requirement for air purification for spaces where people sleep, monitoring of physical distancing, modified pandemic-related cleaning and hygiene routines, and regulations on transportation for work housing not provided by the employer.
An employee who chooses to wear a mask, face shield or other face protection, even when it is not required, must, according to the changes, be allowed to do so.
Oregon OSHA said the changes “represent a significant removal of the covid-1
9 requirements and are a major step forward toward a full repeal of the rule. As stated in the rule, Oregon OSHA will repeal the rule when it is no longer necessary to address the covid-19 pandemic.”Source link
