763.417.9599
PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS PLAN
The pandemic continues to bring challenges for every business. OECS is there to help you put together a COVID-19 Plan that meets your state’s requirements. We’ll help you navigate these challenging times, sharing best practices we’ve learned across hundreds of businesses that could improve your safety and productivity, and guiding you on how to handle the COVID-related impacts to your worker’s comp premiums. We’re here to help you protect the health and safety of your employees and business.
Latest CDC Update
New CDC guidelines state: “Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance”. Learn More Here
The CDC considers people fully vaccinated when it has been 2 weeks after their second dose of the 2-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or 2 weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Due to these new recommendations and the May 13 announcement by Governor Waltz to end Minnesota’s statewide face-covering requirement, businesses have the ability to either lift or continue to enforce the requirement of wearing face coverings. However, the CDC and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) continue to urge individuals who have not been vaccinated to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces.
Even with these changes, COVID-19 requirements are still in effect even though the mask mandate has been rescinded. See the specifics here. Effective May 28th the main requirements for all businesses (indoor and outdoor) are:
- Written COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
- Health screening, isolation, and quarantine protocols
- Hand hygiene practices
- Cleaning and disinfecting
- Building ventilation
Further, the National Safety Council (NSC) is encouraging employers to support vaccination efforts as the best method for returning to a safe and productive work environment free from masks and social distancing, see SAFER (Safe Actions for Employee Returns) Framework.
COVID-19 Safety Preparedness Plan
Given guidance by OSHA and the CDC to prevent workplace exposure to COVID-19, manufacturers and construction companies, as well as many other businesses, will need to create and implement a safety preparedness plan to protect employees through the crisis.
Whether you’re open or looking to re-open safely, this plan will help you mitigate risks in the workplace and prevent the virus from becoming an occupational hazard.
To help create clarity around what is required, OECS has created a COVID-19 Safety Preparedness Plan which includes 4 key components:
- Informative COVID-19 Presentation
- Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan with Checklist
- OECS COVID-19 Safety Associate Policy for Facility or Job Site Entry
- Updated OECS COVID-19 Toolbox Talk with Training Roster
HERE TO HELP
While we are guiding our clients through this process, we are also extending a special offer to anyone who needs help completing their Safety Preparedness Plan.
Please reach out (763-417-9599) to schedule a conversation about how to utilize these critical tools. By using Zoom or other forms of virtual meeting technology, we have the ability to help during this crisis and are willing to offer 2 hours of professional safety assistance free of charge.
STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR STANDARD SAFETY PROGRAM
Just a reminder, as you work through creating and implementing your Safety Preparedness Plan, it’s essential to stay focused on your standard workplace safety policies and procedures. A loss of focus could result in an avoidable injury at the worst possible time.
Stay focused on safety and let us know how we can help!
Videos and Webinars
OECS COVID-19 Action Plan for Business (6/25/2020)
OECS The Business Case for Safety Webinar (May 13, 2020)
COVID-19 Prevention and Response
Training Resources and Guidance:
- OECS Toolbox Talk COVID-19 (April 28, 2020)
- Dealing with Suspected or Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in your Workplace (June 18, 2020)
- COVID-19 7-Point Check List
Fact Sheets:
- CDC COVID-19 Fact Sheet
- Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers from the Department of Homeland Security
- NAICS Critical Employer list
- New CDC DIY Cloth Face Cover Instructions
- NEW CDC Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for COVID 19
- Essential Critical Worker Do’s and Don’ts
Minnesota:
- MN Safety Council COVID-19 Checklist
- MN Worker protections related to COVID-19
- MN Executive Order 20-20
- Stay at Home MN COVID-19
- State of MN Stay at Home Order 20-33
- MN Emergency Executive Order 20-40; Allowing Workers to Return to Safe Workplaces (April 24, 2020)
- MN EO 20-48 Emergency Executive Order 20-48 Extending and Modifying Stay at Home Order, Continuing Temporary Closure of Bars, Restaurants, and Other Places of Public Accommodation, and Allowing Additional Workers in Certain Non-Critical Sectors to Return to Safe Workplaces (May 3, 2020)
- MN EO 20-54 Emergency Executive Order 20-54 Protecting Workers from Unsafe Working Conditions and Retaliation During the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency (May 13, 2020)
- MN EO 20-56 Emergency Executive Order 20-56 Safely Reopening Minnesota’s Economy and Ensuring Safe Non-Work Activities during the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency (May 13, 2020)
- MN EO 20-63 Continuing to Safely Reopen Minnesota’s Economy and Ensure Safe Non-Work Activities during the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency (June 18, 2020)
- MN EO 20-74 Continuing to Safely Reopen Minnesota’s Economy and Ensure Safe Non-Work Activities during the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency (June 18, 2020)
- MN COVID-19 Weekly Report 06-18-2020 (June 18, 2020)
- MN Worker Protections for COVID-19 June 2020 (June 18, 2020)
Wisconsin:
- Wisconsin Safer at Home Fact Sheet
- Wisconsin Safer at Home Fact Sheet (Spanish)
- Wisconsin Safer at Home Order FAQ’s
- Wisconsin Safer at Home Executive Order #12
- WI EO #36 Interim Order to Turn the Dial (May 11, 2020)
South Dakota:
North Dakota:
OSHA Links:
- OSHA Prevent Worker Exposure
- OSHA COVID-19 webpage
- OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
Posters:
- CDC Hand Washing Poster
- Spanish-Prevent Worker Exposure
- Workplace School and Home Guidance
- MN Department of Health Self-Isolation Poster
- What to do if you are sick with COVID-19
- FFCRA Poster (Non-Federal Employees)
- FFCRA Poster (Federal Employees)
- OSHA 10 Steps Poster
- Self-Isolation Poster
Other Links:
- CDC COVID-19 Self-Checker
- 30 Days to Slow the Spread – The President’s Guidelines
- CDC Travel Warning updates
- MN Department of Health COVID-19 link
- CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers
- New temporary guidance on the enforcement of the Respiratory Protection standard during the COVID-19 outbreak
- World Health Organization YouTube video
- FFCRA FAQ
CONTACT US
Contact OECS for timely and professional solutions to workplace safety questions, issues, hazards, or concerns. Our safety consultants are available 24/7 to ensure your safety needs are met.