The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards board voted to withdraw revisions to its COVID-19 prevention emergency temporary standards, the California Dental Association stated June 10.
The CDA proposed revisions to the standards June 7 and sent them to the board for approval. One revision required state dental employers to provide respirators, such as N95 masks, to unvaccinated staff for voluntary use. Some of the new rules would have gone into effect June 15, and others July 31.
The soonest any revisions can go into effect now is at the end of June, following a June 17 OSHA standards board meeting that will review upcoming new mask guidance by the California Department of Public Health. It is likely that new revisions will be proposed during this meeting and will be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law for review within 10 days.
The CDA stated dental practices should continue following standards that took effect in November 2020 until any new standards are approved.