By Robert S. Whitman and Amanda Williams
Seyfarth Synopsis: The New York Commissioner of Health has declined to extend the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease under the NY HERO Act. Employers are no longer required to activate their safety plans.
As previously reported (most recently here), the New York State Commissioner of Health, on September
Continue Reading NY HERO Act Update: COVID-19 Designation Expires
By Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Melissa A. Ortega, and Matthew A. Sloan
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in Sarasota, Florida. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSH Review
Continue Reading Report From the Final Day of the 2022 ABA OSHA/MSHA Midwinter Meeting
By Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Melissa A. Ortega, and Matthew A. Sloan
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in Sarasota, Florida. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSH Review
Continue Reading Report From Day 2 of the 2022 ABA OSHA/MSHA Law Conference
By Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Melissa A. Ortega, and Matthew A. Sloan
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week we are attending the ABA Occupational Safety and Health Law Meeting in Sarasota, Florida. The meeting includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Review
Continue Reading Report From Day 1 of The 2022 ABA OSHA/MSHA Law Conference
By Chantelle C. Egan, Bernard Olshansky, Patrick D. Joyce, and Ilana Morady
Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 28, 2022, California’s Governor Newsom issued a press release lifting California’s mask requirements for unvaccinated individuals in indoor settings, downgrading the former requirement to a strong recommendation, effective March 1, 2022. The same day, the California Department of Public Health
Continue Reading California Loosens Indoor Masking Requirements for the Unvaccinated
By: James L. Curtis, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, Melissa Ortega, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Friday, February 25, 2022, the CDC significantly eased COVID-19 mask guidelines. The new guidelines are based on COVID-19 community levels.
As the COVID-19 surge fueled by the Omicron variant began to retreat, many states eased or planned
Continue Reading CDC Eases Pandemic Mask Guidelines
By James L. Curtis, Brent I. Clark, Mark A. Lies, Adam Young, Patrick D. Joyce, A. Scott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Department of Labor reported today that “U.S. healthcare workers experienced a staggering 249 percent increase in injury and illness rates in 2020, based on employer-reported data, as
Continue Reading OSHA To Address Soaring Injury Rates at Healthcare Facilities
By Daniel I.Small and Robert S.Whitman
Seyfarth Synopsis: This week, Governor Hochul announced that she will lift the mask-or-vaccinate mandate for nearly all public places of business on February 10, 2022. The New York Department of Labor has now revised its model safety plan under the HERO Act to eliminate the mask requirement in most settings. Other HERO Act
Continue Reading UPDATED: New York Lifts Mask-or-Vax Mandate and HERO Act Masking Requirement
By A. Scott Hecker, Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Benjamin D. Briggs, Mark A. Lies, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, Daniel R. Birnbaum, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has withdrawn its private employer COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS, effective Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
On Tuesday, January 25,
Continue Reading OSHA Acknowledges Reality; Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS
By Ronald S. Gart and Christopher A. Sickles
Seyfarth Synopsis: Pursuant to the Mayor’s Order 2021-148 (the “Order”), beginning on January 15, 2022, the District of Columbia has required certain businesses to verify that all patrons aged 12 and over have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning on February 15, 2022, all patrons must show
Continue Reading The District of Columbia’s Vaccine Mandate: What Businesses Need to Consider