The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released guidance to help employers plan for reopening nonessential businesses. The guidance also addresses issues employers should consider as they ask their employees to return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to view OSHA’s Guidance on Returning to Work.
OSHA’s guidelines for reopening nonessential businesses provide general principles for updating restrictions that were originally put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The publication also includes charts, examples, and illustrations of how safety principles can be implemented for reopening. Specifically, this new guidance covers:
- How to plan a reopening.
- OSHA standards and required protections in the workplace.
- Available OSHA assistance programs.
- Answers to employer frequently asked questions.
OSHA has stated this new guidance is meant to supplement the White House’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again and the Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 developed by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. As a result, businesses should follow local timelines and phased reopening plans as they implement OSHA’s guidance.
Employers should also continue to monitor federal, state, and local updates regarding community disinfection, best practices, and transmission mitigation measures. Updates are available on OSHA’s coronavirus webpage and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Editor’s Note: Reopening plans will vary by location and may be delayed or change depending on the infection rate of COVID-19 and risk levels of that area. Always follow local, state, and federal laws and guidance specific to your area.
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