New OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 announced with some anticipated changes to VUMC guidance to follow
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has taken the position that the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19 will be present for the foreseeable future. As a result, OSHA has issued a new safety standard, COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), specifically for settings where employees provide health care services, and has updated its guidance on COVID-19 mitigation measures for other businesses. Tennessee OSHA (TOSHA) will be adopting a version of the ETS for health care settings soon that will apply in this state. This new standard is intended to provide rules that are longer-term for COVID workplace safety and establishes one source of regulations across the broad range of health care services provided throughout the nation.
The TOSHA ETS will apply to VUMC’s clinical areas. As some requirements of the ETS are implemented in the coming months, you may notice a change in some current practices in clinical areas. These changes include requirements for wearing N95 respirators, a required training module, continued patient, visitor, and employee screening, expanded contact tracing and possible home quarantine for contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Common Questions:
Why did OSHA issue the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)? The virus causing COVID-19 will continue to be present in the environment, including in hospitals and clinics. Health care facilities have been consulting a wide variety of guidance from local, state, and federal agencies to establish their protocols related to COVID-19 leading to inconsistent policies across the nation from one facility to the next. The ETS is intended to provide rules that are longer-term for COVID workplace safety and to establish one source of regulations to aid facilities in applying them across the broad range of health care services provided throughout the nation.
Has our workplace been unsafe so that we need to change how we do things? No. Since the beginning of the pandemic, VUMC has followed federal and state guidelines and implemented considerable safety practices to keep the workforce safe from COVID-19. We are reviewing the ETS requirements in order to meet additional regulations and keep you and our patients safe.
Will the ETS change how we currently hold administrative meetings? No. According to VUMC current guidelines unvaccinated employees will continue to need to mask and physically distance in group settings while those who are documented as fully vaccinated can continue to gather in non-clinical areas without masks or additional physical distancing.
If I work from home will the ETS change this? There are no changes in VUMC’s current work from home practices that will be caused by the ETS. If the existing remote work policy and practices change, you will be notified by your leader.
When will I know if I need to make any changes to how I go about my work due to the ETS? Medical Center leaders are looking at each part of the ETS to see what changes may be necessary. VUMC clinical areas could see a change in some current COVID-19 safety practices. Those include specific requirements for wearing N95 respirators, a required training module, continued patient, visitor, and employee screening, and expanded contact tracing for known cases. Further updates will be communicated through MyVUMC and will be posted on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for Employees and Patients website. You may also be contacted via email or directed by your leader for changes such as N95 fit testing requirements.