• As of March 12, 2022, masks are no longer required to be worn in many settings.
  • Local health jurisdictions and individual businesses may still choose to require masking.
  • Employees can wear masks if they choose to. Businesses can’t punish workers who wear a mask, take time off to get vaccinated, or seek treatment for COVID-19.
  • Masks or respirators will continue to be required in health care settings, long-term care, and correctional facilities.
  • Masks will continue to be required in all other locations when required by federal, state, county or other local law or mandate.

COVID-19 remains a serious workplace hazard, and businesses must continue to reduce risk of transmission for their workers. Risks vary from workplace to workplace. Tracking the statewide COVID-19 community transmission levels will help employers ensure their COVID-19 hazard assessment and controls are aligned with the latest data. 

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Use the information and resources on this page to help keep everyone safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have other specific questions on how you can maintain a safe and healthy workplace, contact a DOSH consultant near you.

Workplace Discrimination

It is against the law for any employer to take any adverse action such as firing or threats against a worker for exercising safety and health rights such as raising safety and health concerns to their employer, participating in union activities concerning safety and health matters, filing a safety and health complaint or participating in a DOSH investigation. Workers have 30 days to file their complaint with L&I DOSH and/or with Federal OSHA.

General Information

Guidance from other agencies 

    Masks and respiratory protection

    Masks & Face Coverings Resources

    Respirator Program Resources

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    Amharic​​ ​Somali​​
    Cambodian - Khmer​​ ​Spanish​​
    Chinese - Simplified and Chinese - Traditional ​​ ​Tagalog​​
    Korean​​ ​Tigrinya​​​
    Punjabi​ Vietnamese​​
    Russian​​

    Fit Testing

    Industry- and Topic-Specific Resources

    Agriculture

    Cleanup and Sanitization

        Dentistry

              Health Care

                Long Term Care Facilities

                    Schools

                      Working from home/Telecommuting

                      Requirements & Policies

                      Emergency Rule - Prohibited business activities and compliance with conditions for operations.

                      L&I adopted an emergency rule effective on May 26, 2020, and updated that emergency rule most recently on March 15, 2022: WAC 296-800-14035 - 2019 Novel coronavirus prohibited business activities and compliance with conditions for operations.

                      Under the emergency rule:

                      • Employers must not allow employees to perform work where a business activity is prohibited by an emergency proclamation.
                      • Employers must comply with all conditions for operation required by emergency proclamation, including Safe Start phased reopening requirements for all business and any industry specific requirements.

                      Temporary Worker Housing Emergency Rule

                      L&I has adopted Additional requirements to protect occupants in temporary worker housing from 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) exposure (WAC 296-307-16102). These emergency rules are effective May 20, 2022 through September 16, 2022.

                      Some of the requirements in the emergency rule include:

                      • Educate occupants in a language or languages understood by the occupants on COVID-19;
                      • Provide occupants face coverings/masks;
                      • Comply with the bed placement and bunk bed use requirements under the permanent rule in WAC 296-307-16170;
                      • Submit to the Department of Health a revised temporary worker housing management plan that demonstrates how the operator will comply with the emergency rule requirements;
                      • Updated requirements related to screening and isolation of suspect SARS-CoV-2 and positive SARS-CoV-2 cases as follows:
                        • Removes the requirement to provide thermometers to each occupant or training a person to check all occupants temperatures daily, instead operators must ensure that an adequate number or “no touch” or “no contact” thermometers be available for occupants to use.
                        • Updates the requirement to notify local health officers and provide transportation for any needed medical evaluation upon identification of any individual known to have or suspected of having SARS-CoV-2.
                        • Updates terms referring to confirmed cases.
                        • Requires the identification of close contacts in accordance with the Washington State Department of Health or local health officer close contact definition.
                        • Updates the quarantine and isolation requirements for close contacts and individuals who test positive for COVID to follow current DOH guidance, which could vary by vaccination status. Adds that close contacts must follow the DOH guidance for symptom monitoring and masking post-exposure, and that close contacts of a suspect SARS-CoV-2 case that is ruled out do not need to continue to be treated as close contacts.
                        • Maintains the requirements for daily licensed health care professional visits for employees in isolation with symptoms. For asymptomatic employees in isolation employees, a licensed health care professional visit is required upon initial placement in isolation and upon request of the asymptomatic employee or the licensed health care professional.
                        • Removes the requirements related to vaccine verification. Operators may need to verify vaccine status to determine quarantine requirements for close contacts under the DOH guidance.

                      DOSH Directives

                      These policies provide guidelines to L&I staff when enforcing WACs (Washington Administrative Codes).

                      Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Rules

                      Accident Prevention Program (APP)

                      Airborne Contaminants

                      Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

                      Reporting and Notifications

                      Respirators/Respiratory Protection

                      Related Resources