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On Tuesday, March 10, 2020, OSHA provided guidance requiring the recording and reporting of workplace exposures to COVID-19. In response to employer concerns about how they would determine where a person contracted the virus—in the workplace or elsewhere—the agency issued updated guidance on March 13, 2020.
Recording Workplace Exposures to COVID-19
COVID-19 can be a recordable illness if a worker is infected as a result of performing their work-related duties. However, employers are only responsible for recording cases of COVID-19 if all of the following are met:
- The case is a confirmed case of COVID-19 (see CDC information on persons under investigation and presumptive positive and laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19).
- The case is work-related, as defined by 29 CFR 1904.5.
- The case involves one or more of the general recording criteria set forth in 29 CFR 1904.7 (e.g., medical treatment beyond first-aid, days away from work).
Visit OSHA’s
Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements page for more information.