News and Information

Coronavirus: What Hawaii Employers Need to Know

The outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) originally detected last December in Wuhan City, China has spread to other countries, including six confirmed cases in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus is considered an “emerging public health threat.” The goal of the ongoing U.S. public health response is to identify and contain the outbreak and prevent sustained spread, including travel restrictions to and from China and health screening of travelers returning from China.

There are no reported cases in Hawaii at this time, but state officials say it is likely there will be, and quarantine facilities are being prepared in response.

What does this mean for Hawaii employers? Employers should maintain workplace safety and health standards, and be aware that existing OSHA standards may apply to protecting workers from occupational exposure to 2019-nCoV, including:

• OSHA’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standards
• The General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) pf the OSH Act of 1970, 29 USC 654(a)(1) which requires employers to furnish to each worker “employment and a place of employment, which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

For more information:

• Visit OSHA’s Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements page for additional information on recording workplace exposure to recordable illnesses, which 2019-nCoV would be considered
• See the State Department of Health FAQs on 2019-nCoV