Susan McClain, Director of NASA LaRC’s Office of Procurement, requested that the following information, issued by Assistant Administrator for Procurement Karla Smith Jackson on February 11, 2022, be shared with LaRC Contractors Steering Council members.
Update to COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors – Guidance Regarding Access to NASA buildings and facilities
The purpose of this memorandum is to restate safety protocols and clarify testing procedures for NASA Contractors when working onsite in NASA federal buildings or facilities of which a substantial portion of occupants are NASA federal employees. Executive Order (E.O.) 13991, Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing (the Order), issued January 20, 2021 provides guidance for on-site Federal contractors, and other individuals working onsite in Federal buildings and on Federal lands; and requires Federal contractors to wear masks, maintain physical distance, and adhere to other public health measures, as provided in CDC guidelines.
Therefore, contractor employees working onsite in NASA Federal buildings or facilities must still follow Federal agency workplace safety protocols as follows:
For fully vaccinated on-site federal contract employees and other visitors: In areas of low or moderate transmission, as defined by CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated people generally can safely participate in most activities, indoor or outdoor, without needing to wear a mask or maintain physical distance, and do not need to undertake regular testing. NASA facilities are monitoring the transmission rates and will have mask policies consistent with local transmission rates and CDC guidance. Regardless of vaccination status, in areas of high or substantial transmission, Federal employees, Federal contract employees, and other visitors must wear a mask inside Federal buildings. The current mask usage requirement status for the NASA facility can be found at https://nasapeople.nasa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus.htm.
For on-site federal contract employees and other visitors not yet fully vaccinated, nonvaccinated or vaccination status was not declared or is unknown: Individuals in this category must continue to comply with the following safety protocols while on a NASA facility:
1. Wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission level, physically distance, and comply with travel requirements.
2. Physically distance in federal buildings or on federal lands.
3. Contractors working onsite are required to adhere to NASA health and safety protocols including COVID-19 screening testing. NASA will not provide testing for contract employees and visitors and contract employees and visitors must adhere to applicable travel restrictions.
4. Contractors must be able to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result weekly if coming on site regularly, or within 3 days of a single visit or infrequent visits. The test results should be provided to the contractor employee’s company. The test must be from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized test to detect current infection and produce a dated result. Testing that may result in increased contract costs should be minimized to the maximum extent practical.
For “transient” and construction contractor employees:
- “Transient” contractor employees who are making deliveries to a NASA facility or site (e.g. package delivery services; propellant supplier) but will not enter a Federal Building for an extended period of time, are not required to complete and submit a Certification of Vaccination Status or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result report; and
- Construction contractor employees, who principally work outside, can be exempt from the attestation and testing requirements. Consideration should begiven to limiting indoor activities for these employees, such as limiting them to only food pickup at a dining facility.
Center/facility leadership has discretion to approve additional exemptions, for other infrequent situations where access of individuals does not represent increased risk of exposure or spreading of COVID-19 in the facility/installation. These exemptions may be most efficient when applied to a contract company when all their employees represent the same low risk.
Additional information about the coronavirus, including preventative best practices and lessons learned is being continuously updated. Contractors are responsible for ensuring that its employees monitor local radio, television stations, and other communications channels. For the latest NASA information, follow all communications from the NASA Center/facility and Agency including the NASA People web page.
The guidance above is separate and distinct from requirements of Executive Order 14042. NASA continues to take no action to enforce NASA FAR deviation clause 52.223-99, Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, in contracts or contract-like instruments implementing requirements of Executive Order 14042, absent further written notice from the agency, as stated in previous guidance dated December 9, 2021.
I appreciate your cooperation and continued commitment to safety and the NASA mission.
Please direct any other questions concerning this letter to your cognizant NASA contracting officer.
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