1. COVID-19 Resources

A Worker May Be Sick or Exposed to COVID-19 What is an outbreak and what do I need to report?

Cal/OSHA's emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 prevention define outbreaks and major outbreaks:

  • Outbreak - three or more employee COVID-19 cases in an "exposed group" within a 14-day period.
  • Major outbreak - 20 or more employee COVID-19 cases in an "exposed group" within a 30-day period.

"Exposed group" means all employees at a work location, working area, or a common area at work, where an employee COVID-19 case was present at any time during the infectious period. A common area at work includes bathrooms, walkways, hallways, aisles, break or eating areas, and waiting areas. The following exceptions apply:

(A) For the purpose of determining the exposed group, a place where persons momentarily pass through while everyone is wearing face coverings, without congregating, is not a work location, working area, or a common area at work. (B) If the COVID-19 case was part of a distinct group of employees who are not present at the workplace at the same time as other employees, for instance a work crew or shift that does not overlap with another work crew or shift, only employees within that distinct group are part of the exposed group. (C) If the COVID-19 case visited a work location, working area, or a common area at work for less than 15 minutes during the infectious period, and all persons were wearing face coverings at the time the COVID-19 case was present, other people at the work location, working area, or common area are not part of the exposed group.
NOTE: An exposed group may include the employees of more than one employer. See Labor Code sections 6303 and 6304.1 for full details.

You must contact the local health department immediately but no longer than 48 hours after you become aware of three or more COVID-19 cases for guidance on preventing the further spread of COVID-19 within the workplace.

You must provide to the local health department the total number of COVID-19 cases and for each COVID-19 case, the name, contact information, occupation, workplace location, business address, the hospitalization and/or fatality status, and North American Industry Classification System code of the workplace of the COVID-19 case, and any other information requested by the local health department. You should continue to give notice to the local health department of any subsequent COVID-19 cases at the workplace.

May 2022