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NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR
BUSINESS REOPENING START TODAY
Today
is the first day of Phase I business reopening under Governor Beshear’s
Healthy at Work initiative, and we wanted to make you aware of
requirements all business will need to follow starting now according to the Executive Order released
Sunday. You may notice that many of these
requirements have changed since the initial announcement of business
requirements for reopening. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce worked
closely with the Beshear administration to ensure all requirements be
practicable while keeping all employees and customers safe. Many of the
recommendations we put forth are reflected in these revised requirements.
Here is a link to all minimum
requirements all employers must meet starting May 11.
Please also note there are new requirements for health and temperature
screenings, including employees may self-administer a temperature
screening at home.
All
information can be found at healthyatwork.ky.gov. In addition to minimum
requirements that all business must follow, sector-specific guidelines
were released for:
May
9, 2020:
May
11, 2020:
May
18, 2020:
May
20, 2020:
We
encourage ALL employers to make yourself aware of the new requirements to
ensure we are able to get Kentucky’s economy back up and running while
maintaining the safety of employees and customers.
Highlights
to the new
minimum requirements include:
1. Continue
telework where possible.
2. Phased
return to work.
3. Enforce
social distancing.
4.
Limit face-to-face interaction.
5.
Universal masks and any other necessary PPE.
- Universal
Employee Masks: Businesses,
organizations, and entities must ensure, to the greatest extent
practicable, that their employees, volunteers, and contractors wear
a cloth mask (a surgical or N95 mask is not required). A business,
organization, or entity need not require an employee/volunteer/contractor
to wear a mask when masking would create a serious health or safety
hazard to the employee/volunteer/contractor, when the
employee/volunteer/contractor is working alone in an enclosed space,
or when the employee/volunteer/contractor is working alone in an
area with more than six (6) feet of social distancing. Businesses
and organizations shall provide PPE at no cost to employees and
should offer instruction on proper use of masks and PPE.
- Access
To Gloves:
Entities must ensure that employees whose job duties include
touching items often touched by others (e.g., credit cards/cash,
paper, computers) wear gloves that are regularly replaced. Entities
should also follow the applicable CDC, OSHA, or other federal
guidelines relating to gloves.
6. Adequate
Hand Sanitizer and Encouraging Hand Washing.
7.
Restrict Common Areas.
8.
Proper Sanitation.
9.
Conduct Daily Temperature/Health Checks.
- Entities must require
employees to undergo daily temperature and health checks; these
checks may be either self-administered or administered by the
entities prior to workplace entry. Self-administered temperature and
health checks may be performed at home.
10.
Create a Testing Plan.
11.
Make Special Accommodations.
- Entities must, to the
greatest extent practicable, make special accommodations for
employees and customers at higher risk for severe illness.
13.
Educate and Train Employees.
- Entities must educate and
train all individuals, including employees, temporary employees,
contractors, vendors, customers, etc., regarding the Healthy at Work
protocols. This training must be offered during scheduled work times
at no cost to the employee.
14.
Contact Notification Responsibilities. Entities opened
must be prepared to assist public health officials if an employee test
positive or becomes exposed to COVID-19.
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