Sound Advice

School Health & COVID Safety Guide

We’ve posted to the PSWCT website the September 30, 2020 edition of the joint agency guidance developed by representatives of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), local superintendents, and labor organizations.

Key worksite safety points are as follows:

• The overall health risk for the typical K–12 in-person instructional setting is classified as low-risk. There are other scenarios in the school setting where the risk level may be higher or lower.

• In low-risk situations, staff may wear a cloth face covering.

• In medium-risk situations, L&I’s long-standing guidance allows for several different protection options, including a face shield with a cloth face mask, a surgical-style mask, a hobby dust mask, a KN95 mask, or a KN90 mask. 

• For high-risk or extremely high-risk situations, an N95 respirator or equivalent should be used. If an employer cannot reasonably obtain an N95 or equivalent, they may use a face shield plus an FDA approved surgical mask, procedural mask, or a KN95 mask until a respirator can be obtained.

• N95 respirators or equivalent protection are only required in high-risk or extremely high-risk situations.

Reach out to Elizabeth Jakab, PSWCT Industrial Hygiene Consultant with any questions.

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