CHLA to Cal/OSHA: Follow Science on Workplace Mask Standard

Emergency proposal is out of line with CDC guidelines, common sense

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In a letter to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board, the California Hotel and Lodging Association strongly urged the board follow widely held federal and state workplace mask guidelines and reject confusing and unrealistic requirements proposed in its Emergency Temporary Standard, or ETS.

The board is scheduled to consider on Friday the ETS proposal that, effectively, promotes the same standard for vaccinated and unvaccinated employees, which is counter to guidelines from most federal and state agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Consistency and clarity of health standards is what California hotels and their employees need as we prepare for the critical June 15 state reopening,’’ said Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CHLA President and CEO. “As written, the ETS proposal is counter to just about every reasonable health guidance.”

“It is time for DOSH and the Standards Board to recognize we are no longer in an emergency situation,” said Len Welsh, former chief of Cal/OSHA. “We’ve been dealing with the coronavirus for more than a year. Emergency rulemaking on COVID that offers no opportunity for meaningful public input needs to stop. The staffs of the two agencies need to return to an advisory committee process that allows for true and meaningful dialogue so that Cal/OSHA can return to informed rulemaking.”

California’s lodging industry, which implemented strong state and federal health and safety standards for employees and guests throughout the pandemic, was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic and only recently began an economic recovery. It lost more than 90,000 employees in 2020 and now many California hotels are unable to find much-needed workers. Confusing ETS requirements will further hinder hotels from hiring new employees.

About the California Hotel and Lodging Association

The California Hotel and Lodging Association is the leading resource and advocate for California’s more than 6,000 hotels, motels and boutique inns that employ more than 235,000 workers. CHLA, established in 1893, is the largest state lodging industry association in the nation and is a partner with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. For more information, go to www.calodging.com.

Contacts

Pete Hillan

[email protected]
831-227-5984