US Department of Labor Ends COVID-19 Healthcare Rulemaking

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has officially stopped working on a COVID-19-specific healthcare rule.

Timeline:

• June 2021, OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19.
• Over the next year, the agency gathered public feedback through comment periods and public hearings.
• December 2022, OSHA submitted a draft final COVID-19 rule for review.
• April 10, 2023, President Biden signed a law ending the COVID-19 national emergency.

Why is OSHA Ending This Rulemaking?

OSHA has decided to focus on creating a broader Infectious Disease Standard instead of a COVID-19-specific rule for healthcare workers. This approach was always intended to replace the temporary COVID-19 rule and allows OSHA to protect workers from a wide range of infectious diseases, not just COVID-19.

Key Points Behind the Decision

Like the CDC, scientific guidance has changed since OSHA submitted its draft of the COVID-19 rule. A COVID-19-specific standard would take significant time and resources, slowing the development of the broader Infectious Diseases Standard.

A broader standard will better protect healthcare workers against COVID-19, other infectious diseases, and future outbreaks.

In summary, OSHA believes its resources are better spent creating a comprehensive rule to safeguard healthcare workers from various infectious diseases, including COVID-19.