Communities are starting to ease their COVID-19 restrictions, which means many businesses will be re-opening under new guidelines. While this is welcome news for many business owners, questions remain about workplace safety for business re-opening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great, updated reference site for businesses with a guide to ongoing mitigation and resources for COVID-19 prevention and support.
The site offers a special section for Frequently Asked Questions on the following topics: Suspected or Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in the Workplace, Reducing the Spread of COVID-19 in Workplaces, Healthy Business Operations, Cleaning and Disinfection in the Workplace, and Critical Infrastructure.
The Department of Labor also has a thorough safety guide compiled under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) available for download. This 35-page document is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations. It does contain recommendations as well as descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards. For information for business re-opening, download the OSHA guide at https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf
There are a lot of things for small businesses to navigate right now like recovering lost income, PPP loan forgiveness and re-opening. There are many resources available to help get our small businesses get back to business.
Resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Businesses and Workplaces: Plan, Prepare and Respond, updated April 20, 2020.
