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Covid Update
from March 2022 Building Insight
by BIAW
COVID safety requirements continue as mask mandate ends
by Janelle Guthrie Communications Director
On March 12, 2022, Washington became the 49th state to end its indoor mask mandate. But the Department of Labor & Industries reminds employers that the pandemic remains a public health emergency.
And that means employers must continue to monitor COVID-19 in the workplace.
Ongoing health and safety requirements
According to a Safety & Health Bulletin issued by L&I on March 11, 2022, at a minimum, all employers will need to:
• Keep workers with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 from working around others.
• Provide handwashing facilities and clean and sanitize surfaces regularly.
• Educate workers about COVID-19 prevention in the language they understand best.
• Provide written notice of potential COVID-19 exposure to all within one business day.
• Report COVID-19 outbreaks of 10 or more to L&I.
• Address COVID-19 in the employer’s written Accident Prevention Program or equivalent safety program.
• Allow workers to wear a mask if they choose.
Additional guidance and templates online
For additional guidance, visit: BIAW.com/covid-jobsite-safety.
There you can find links to
• L&I’s “Updated masking rules for Washington state businesses and workers.”
• L&I’s Sample COVID-19 Plan for Small Employers.
• Free COVID-19 tests from the state and federal governments.
