{"id":5320,"date":"2021-12-23T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/employerdefensereport.com\/?p=5320"},"modified":"2026-03-01T16:58:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T21:58:50","slug":"osha-updates-its-testing-related-faqs-about-the-covid-19-vaccination-testing-and-face-coverings-ets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/employer-defense-report\/osha-updates-its-testing-related-faqs-about-the-covid-19-vaccination-testing-and-face-coverings-ets\/","title":{"rendered":"OSHA Updates its Testing-Related FAQs about the COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing, and Face Coverings ETS"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Conn Maciel Carey LLP\u2019s\u00a0COVID-19 Task Force<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

We wanted to share (hopefully) one last ETS update before Christmas.\u00a0 As you know, when the\u00a0Fifth Circuit issued its Stay<\/a>\u00a0of OSHA\u2019s Vaccination, Testing, and Face Coverings Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) in November, OSHA announced that it had \u201csuspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation.\u201d\u00a0 Essentially, OSHA said it was \u201cpencils down\u201d completely \u2013 no longer responding to email inquiries about interpretations of ETS terms, no longer speaking\/presenting about the ETS, and importantly, no longer producing additional compliance guidance or FAQs.<\/p>\n

With the\u00a0Sixth Circuit lifting the Stay<\/a>\u00a0last week, however, OSHA immediately updated its website to reflect that the agency \u201ccan now once again implement this vital workplace health standard.\u201d\u00a0 OSHA went right back to work on compliance assistance, not just licking its chops to start enforcing the rule.\u00a0 Indeed, in the last couple of days, OSHA has updated its FAQs on its\u00a0Vaccination and Testing ETS webpage<\/a>, including several about the confusing and challenging testing elements of the ETS (See Section 6 \u2013 and 6P. through 6.X. are the news testing FAQs).\u00a0 Below are a few of the notable new testing-related FAQs that address questions we were fielding frequently (and thankfully answering correctly):<\/p>\n

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In particular, we thought it was good news to see the agency reflect that a single OTC COVID-19 test satisfies the weekly testing requirement of the ETS even for an OTC test that requires completion of more than one test per the Emergency Use Authorization, and that employers may remotely observe the self-administration of OTC tests via a live streaming video conference program (e.g., Zoom, Skype, or Microsoft Teams), as we had previously concluded.<\/p>\n

And for what its worth, we wanted to make sure you saw Conn Maciel Carey\u2019s\u00a0extensive set of FAQs about the ETS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not Just Compliance Assistance<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Additionally, while the lifting of the Stay has allowed OSHA to get back to compliance assistance, it has also allowed OSHA to gear up its enforcement machine.\u00a0 In a briefing about the ETS held by OSHA yesterday, we heard that, although OSHA will apply enforcement discretion until January 10th<\/sup>\u00a0(for all provisions except the testing mandate) and February 9th<\/sup>\u00a0(for the testing mandate), that does not mean employers should not be doing everything they can now to come into compliance.\u00a0 Specifically, OSHA mentioned that it will look to factors for reasonable good faith efforts to come into compliance based on the original ETS deadlines \u2013 December 6th<\/sup>\u00a0(for all provisions except the testing mandate) and January 4th<\/sup>\u00a0(for the testing mandate).\u00a0 For example, if a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) were to show up today and see that the employer has done nothing or very little to come into compliance, enforcement may be considered.\u00a0 On the other hand, if the employer appears to be taking significant steps towards compliance, the CSHO would consider following OSHA\u2019s enforcement policy, and thus, enforcement should not start until those later dates.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Importantly, during the OSHA briefing, we also heard about how OSHA will be enforcing its ETS.\u00a0 Specifically, OSHA mentioned that it is developing and will soon issue an enforcement directive for how its field staff is supposed to enforce this rule, and that the agency is updating its current\u00a0COVID-19 National Emphasis Program<\/a>\u00a0(NEP) to account for the ETS.\u00a0 OSHA also stated that it anticipates that most inspections will come from complaints and reports of hospitalizations and deaths.<\/p>\n

We hope this helps, and, as always, let us know if you have any compliance questions about the ETS, or if we can help your organization come into compliance with the ETS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Conn Maciel Carey LLP\u2019s\u00a0COVID-19 Task Force We wanted to share (hopefully) one last ETS update before Christmas.\u00a0 As you know, when the\u00a0Fifth Circuit issued its Stay\u00a0of OSHA\u2019s Vaccination, Testing, and Face Coverings Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-workplace-safety-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOSHA Updates its Testing-Related FAQs about the COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing, and Face Coverings ETS - 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