OR-OSHA is planning to announce the final temporary Oregon OSHA COVID-19 rules and timeline the week of November 2. You can see OSHA’s announcement here. The temporary rules establish new health and safety requirements for all workplaces and additional requirements for certain types of work such as in healthcare. For the most part, the new rules will make existing OSHA guidelines mandatory requirements for all workplaces. In addition to face masks and social distancing, sanitation is a critical element and your workplace must be ready for the enhanced rules:
Sanitation. The employer must regularly clean or sanitize all common areas, shared equipment,
and high-touch surfaces as defined by this rule that are under its control and that are used by
employees or the public.
(A) Such regular cleaning or sanitization must be implemented based on the following
frequencies:
(i) At least once every 24 hours if the workplace is occupied less than 12 hours a day; or
(ii) At least twice every 24 hours, if the workplace is occupied more than 12 hours a day.
The employer must ensure that such duplicative sanitation activities are separated by at
least 8 hours between each subsequent cleaning.
Exception: In locations with only “drop-in” availability or minimal staffing, the employer is
permitted to rely upon a regular schedule of cleaning and sanitation and directing employees
to sanitize their own work surfaces before use.
(B) Employers must provide employees with the supplies and the time necessary to sanitize
more frequently than would otherwise be required if the worker chooses to do so.
(C) Employers must provide employees with the supplies (such as soap and water) and
reasonable time necessary to perform hand hygiene before using shared equipment.
(D) Except in healthcare settings where patients known or suspected to be infected with
COVID-19 are being treated for the disease, employers must clean and disinfect any
common areas, high-touch-surfaces, and any shared equipment under the employer’s
control that an individual known to be infected with COVID-19 used or had direct physical
October 23, 2020, DRAFT of Oregon OSHA Temporary COVID-19 Rule Page 5
contact with. This requirement does not apply to areas, surfaces, or equipment that has
been unoccupied or otherwise unused for seven days or more. As a recommended, but not
required, practice, employers should observe a waiting period of at least 24 hours (or for as
long as is feasible) prior to cleaning and disinfecting.
Note: Additional sanitation requirements for exceptional risk workplaces are included in
subsection (4)(d) of this rule.