INDOOR MASKING REQUIREMENTS ARE BACK

August 3, 2021

As of midnight last night, new Health Orders requiring face coverings to be worn indoors went into effect for seven Bay Area Counties and the City of Berkeley. The Orders require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions. These localities join Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, and Yolo County, who issued similar Orders within the past week. Other counties and cities may follow suit as communities are experiencing increases in COVID-19 transmission due to the Delta variant. UCON has updated our COVID-19 Resources Page with all current Health Orders and will continue to add any new ones there.

What does this mean for the construction industry?

1. Employers in these areas need to require appropriate face coverings for all individuals who work in or enter any indoor settings. This includes job trailers and interiors of structures, as well as offices and public spaces within buildings.
2. The Cal/OSHA ETS have not been modified since the last modification on June 17. However, the ETS do state that “employers shall provide face coverings and ensure they are worn by employees when required by orders from the CDPH.”  Last week, the CDPH (California Department of Public Health) did change its guidance to strongly recommend indoor masking regardless of vaccination status in high-transmission areas. In localities that have now instituted indoor masking mandates, employers must follow those Orders.
3. For any work being performed outside of the geographic areas that have issued indoor masking orders, be sure to continue checking the appropriate county's public health office website for updates.
4. UCON is in the process of updating the UCON/Littler California COVID-19 Prevention Plan IIPP Supplement, and we will notify our members when that has been completed.

UCON will continue to update members on any relevant regulatory changes. Please utilize our COVID-19 Resources Page (available to everyone in the industry) for regular updates to local and statewide policy developments.

Contact: UCON Safety Consultant, Chris Lee via email or phone 510-821-0242