OSHA Guidelines for Reopened Places of Employment

As noted in the Cleaning & Maintenance Management resource, “COVID-19 Update: OSHA Issues Social Distancing Reminder as Workers Return,” OSHA has listed a set of guidelines for protecting employees and customers as businesses begin to reopen. Everyone must take precautions seriously because COVID-19 is still infecting thousands of Americans each day. Although society is eager to continue business as usual, now is not the time to let our guard down. The following list contains the safety measures recently recommended by OSHA.

• Stagger shifts and/or continue the use of telecommuting to the greatest extent possible so that less people are in the workplace at once.
• Spread out workspaces and break room seating to encourage social distancing.
• Install plexiglass partitions to protect employees and customers from aerosols.
• Limit close contact between customers by marking six feet apart for lines, using curbside or drive-through pick up, and limiting the number of customers allowed at one time.
• If a worker begins to exhibit COVID-19 symptoms on the job, have them isolate and leave the workplace as soon as possible.
• Encourage employee feedback about any safety and health concerns so that they can be promptly addressed (your hotline can be used for employees who wish to remain anonymous).