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643 Developing a COVID Prevention Program (CPP)
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Written COVID Prevention Program (CPP)

Employers may be required to establish, implement, and maintain an effective, written COVID-19 Prevention Program in compliance with local, state, and federal requirements.

Careful planning is essential.

The written elements of a COVID-19 Prevention Program should include the following 16 sections:

  1. Assignment of a workplace coordinator;
  2. Identification of where and how workers might be exposed to COVID-19 at work;
  3. Identification of a combination of measures that will limit the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, in line with the principles of the hierarchy of controls;
  4. Consideration of protections for workers at higher risk for severe illness through supportive policies and practices;
  5. Establishment of a system for communicating effectively with workers and in a language they understand;
  6. Educate and train workers on your COVID-19 policies and procedures using accessible formats and in a language they understand;
  7. Instruct workers who are infected or potentially infected to stay home and isolate or quarantine;
  8. Minimize the negative impact of quarantine and isolation on workers;
  9. Isolating workers who show symptoms at work;
  10. Performing enhanced cleaning and disinfection after people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 have been in the facility;
  11. Providing guidance on screening and testing;
  12. Recording and reporting COVID-19 infections and deaths;
  13. Implementing protections from retaliation and setting up an anonymous process for workers to voice concerns about COVID-19-related hazards;
  14. Making a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccination series available at no cost to all eligible employees;
  15. Not distinguishing between workers who are vaccinated and those who are not; and
  16. Other applicable OSHA Standards.

For a comprehensive discussion of these elements see OSHA's, Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace

Authority and Responsibility

A designated person should be assigned overall responsibility and given the authority to implement and manage the workplace's CPP provisions.

  • Managers and supervisors should be assigned responsibility for implementing the CPP in their assigned work areas. They should answer any CPP-related questions in a language employees understand.
  • Employees should be assigned responsibility for using safe work practices, following all directives, policies, and procedures to maintain a safe work environment.

COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP) for [Name of Company, or name of the workplace if it’s for a fixed location.]

This CPP is designed to control exposures to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that may occur in our workplace.

Authority and Responsibility

[Enter name or job title of the person(s)] has overall authority and responsibility for implementing the provisions of this CPP in our workplace.

  • Managers and supervisors should be assigned responsibility for implementing the CPP in their assigned work areas. They should answer any CPP-related questions in a language employees understand.
  • Employees should be assigned responsibility for using safe work practices, following all directives, policies, and procedures to maintain a safe work environment.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-2. Who should be assigned overall responsibility and given the authority to implement and manage the workplace's CPP provisions?