In the absence of specific workplace coronavirus emergency standards from OSHA, 14 states have beefed up COVID-19 requirements by expanding employer safety regs on their own. Ranging from enforceable guidelines to multiple-page emergency temporary standards, here’s who’s adopted comprehensive safety protections as of Dec. 31, 2020:
- California
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Virginia , and
- Washington.
Required or recommended?
While some states under federal OSHA’s oversight are still figuring out how to enforce worker coronavirus safety protections, states like Michigan, Nevada and Oregon, have assigned enforcement to their state occupational safety and health agencies.
In other states, monitoring and inspection are handled by health departments, labor departments or the attorney general’s office.
Many states with executive orders from their governors require employers to:
- ensure physical distancing of 6 feet between employees, their co-workers and customers
- provide face masks (or additional PPE, if necessary) to employees when maintaining 6-foot social distance isn’t possible
- require customers to wear face masks
- improve ventilation
- provide employees with regular access to hand washing facilities with soap
- have hand sanitizer readily available for workers
- require deep cleaning after any COVID-19 cases are discovered in the workplace, and
- notify workers when cases are found.
Compliance check
Some cities, such as Raleigh, NC, and counties, such as Montgomery County, MD, have implemented pandemic safety regs of their own.
If it’s been awhile since you checked with public health authorities at the state or local level for any updated mandates that may affect your firm, now’s a good time to double-check.
Info: WHICH STATES AND CITIES HAVE ADOPTED COMPREHENSIVE COVID-19 WORKER PROTECTIONS?
