California Assembly Bill 685
Summary:
On September 17, 2020 California Governor Newson signed the AB 685 into law requesting employers to provide written notifications of potential workplace COVID-19 exposure to employees and any contractors.
Employers are also required to report any outbreak of COVID-19 to local public health agencies.
Outbreak: Three or more laboratory-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 among employees who live in different households within a two-week period.
Details see: California Legislative Information
Effective Period: January 1st, 2021 to January 1st, 2023
Employer Responsibilities:
Notification to Employees and Employers of Subcontracted Employees
Employers must provide written notification to all employees and employers of subcontracted employees immediately (within one business day) of the following:
- Personnel who were at the same worksite as the COVID-19 infectious person
- Personnel who were subject to COVID-19 related quarantine order
Notification to Local Public Health Agencies
- Employers need to notify local public health agencies of an outbreak within 48 hours of knowledge.
- Employers need to notify local public health agency in jurisdiction of exposed employee’s workplace, along with business address and NAICS industry code of the workplace.
- Employers must provide continuous notice to local public health agency of any subsequent laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19.
CAL OSHA Citation: AB685 allows CAL OSHA to issue citations for serious violations related to COVID-19 without giving employers 15-day notice before issuance.
Maximum $25,000 fine and mandatory minimum $18,000 fine for accident-related serious citations.
Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response Plan
Employers should develop and implement workplace control for workplace safety.
- Engineering Control
- Administrative Control
- Work Practice Control
- Personal Protective Equipment
Should you have any questions on the matter, kindly contact your Account Manager.
See below for some sample safety logs and notification forms.