California’s standards board governing workplace safety has posted for public comment draft regulations that would extend COVID-19 temporary protections next year.
During a hearing for the board on Thursday, farm groups shared concerns over changes to the rules. They worried, for instance, about adding a “significant” amount of employer-provided testing for the virus.
“I have been talking to employers who are having difficulty getting testing right now,” said California Farm Bureau Labor Affairs Director Bryan Little, adding that this could exacerbate supply chain problems.
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He shared the same concerns about new requirements for HEPA filtration systems. The new regulations would also maintain paid sick leave requirements, after a state law providing extra sick leave expired last month.
A staff member asserted the changes are “very limited—just to address the latest science on the Delta variant” and the most recent public health recommendations.
