FAH submitted comments on the Occupational Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the Federal Register on June 21, 2021. The comments address FAH’s three primary areas of concern with the ETS include:
- timeline for compliance;
- conflicts with hospitals’ existing safety protocols; and
- lack of clarity and flexibility around certain ETS requirements.
FAH members have prioritized keeping employees safe from COVID-19, and have done so throughout the PHE with the same expertise and dedication that they have brought to patient care. Hospitals already have effective processes in place to protect employees while treating patients, yet the ETS now places an undue burden on hospitals and undermines the flexibility they need to address the changing demands of COVID-19 on an ongoing basis.
Read the letter here.
