After announcing that it plans to withdraw some of the emergency temporary standards for medical staff, the nurses union asked the court to force the Biden government to issue permanent standards for the prevention of COVID-19 in the workplace.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration “failed” to protect nurses and other workers as required by law, NNU, New York State Nurses Association, Pennsylvania State Nurses and Professionals Association and other unions debate In a lawsuit filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Washington Circuit on Wednesday.

Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration release Provisional standards for healthcare employers in June, the agency announced plans last week extract Most of this was because it was unable to complete the final rules within the six months required by law. OSHA expects that its proposed infectious disease standards will be published in April, which means that the final rules will not be ready for at least 30 days.

Applies to healthcare ETS that treats COVID-19 patients and requires employers to comply with regulations regarding personal protective equipment, physical distance, paid vaccinations, and other requirements.

“When OSHA determines that there is an emergency (as it is done here) and issues an emergency standard, the emergency standard must remain in effect until the final rule is issued, which must be completed within six months after the emergency standard is issued,” the union said There are endless arguments in the lawsuit. “When a pandemic is raging, OSHA has no right to create an indefinite time loop in the regulatory framework for the protection of healthcare workers.”

NNU requires the court to order OSHA to publish permanent standards for exposure to COVID-19 for healthcare professionals, and to retain and enforce emergency temporary standards until the permanent rules take effect.

OSHA believes that healthcare workers are still protected by other existing standards, but it also urges employers to voluntarily comply with expired interim standards until final rules are in place.

“Continuing to comply with the terms of the healthcare ETS is the easiest way for employers in the healthcare environment to protect the health of their employees and ensure compliance with their Occupational Safety and Health Act obligations,” the agency wrote On its website last week.