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Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: vacant, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Katherine Rakow, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith Friday November 20, 2020 Attention - Employers NOTICE OF PROPOSED EMERGENCY ACTION BY THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS BOARD REGARDING PROPOSED CHANGES TO CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 8, NEW SECTIONS 3205; 3205.1; 3205.2; 3205.3; and 3205.4 The new workplace standards come as coronavirus case numbers are rising again. The standards will go into effect within 10 days pending state review and will be effective for at least 180 days. Healthcare workers, who already have their own standards, are exempt. Provisions in the standards include: • Employers should establish a written policy on preventing COVID-19, which should include information on testing and how workers can communicate their and workplace hazards. • Employers should offer COVID-19 testing at no cost to all employees who was potentially exposed to the virus in their workplace. • Employers should provide employees information about COVID-19 related benefits, such as emergency paid sick leave and workers’ compensation. • All employees should be separated from others by at least six feet, unless an employer can demonstrate that six feet of separation is not possible. • Employers should provide face coverings and ensure employees wear those over the nose and mouth when indoors or when outdoors and less than six feet away from another person. Anyone not wearing a face covering or face shield should be at least six feet apart from all others unless the person is tested at least twice weekly for COVID-19. • Employers should maximize the quantity of outside air unless air quality is poor or if the weather is too hot or cold. Public Health Brief Richard O. Johnson, M.D., MPH Nichole Williamson Public Health Officer HHS Director Office: [PHONE REDACTED], Ext 249 Office: [PHONE REDACTED] e-mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] 24/7/365 Emergency Contact Number Dispatch: [PHONE REDACTED], Ext 330 Warm Line: [PHONE REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: vacant, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Katherine Rakow, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith • Employers should report to Cal-OSHA any COVID-19-related serious illness or death of an employee at work or in connection with work. • Employers should keep a record of all COVID-19 cases at the workplace. • Anyone exposed to COVID-19 should be excluded from work for 14 days after their last known exposure, except in very limited circumstances. Employers should keep paying their employees, whether through sick leave, public benefits or other means. • Workers with COVID-19 should not return to work until at least 10 days have passed since first appeared, and at least a day since a fever of 100.4 or higher has been resolved. A negative test is not required. • Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus but have no should not return to work until at least 10 days have passed since they first tested positive for COVID-19. A negative test is not required. • During an outbreak, defined as three or more cases within a 14-day period, employers should provide testing to all workers except those who were not present at the workplace during the time. Those workers should be tested immediately, a week later and then at least once per week until there are no new cases detected for a 14-day period. • During a major outbreak, defined as 20 or more cases within a 14-day period, employers should provide testing at least twice a week for the workers. New rules also govern employer-provided housing and transportation, such as requiring beds to be spaced at least six feet apart in all directions.