AFT President Weingarten Reacts to OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard

 WASHINGTON—Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten following the announcement that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a federal Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 that requires healthcare employers to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19. The standard will be mandatory in many healthcare settings, and OSHA also released voluntary guidance to help protect workers in other industries. The announcement excludes many healthcare workers who are exposed to asymptomatic patients by relying too heavily on staff vaccination status and screening, and stronger requirements are needed for ventilation and filtration enhancements to protect workers and prevent ongoing spread of the virus:

“More needs to be done to protect workers.”