CDC Guidance on No Mask Wearing on Outdoor Construction Sites

On April 27, 2021, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new federal guidance on when fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask outdoors.  Per the CDC, a fully vaccinated person, defined as someone who had their final required shot at least two weeks earlier could, “participate in outdoor activities and recreation without a mask, except in certain crowded settings and venues.”  However, it did not address workplaces and OSHA and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health had not issued new guidance for employers and workers based on the latest CDC advice.  The new guidelines nevertheless give construction employers the choice of allowing fully vaccinated workers to shed their masks when they are outdoors and more than six feet away from other workers or the public, or if they are working in close proximity to other fully vaccinated workers, labor safety stakeholders said. The guidance does not apply to workers who are not fully vaccinated or to vaccinated workers in crowded settings.