Virginia has adopted statewide emergency workplace safety standards to address the coronavirus, making the state the first in the nation to implement such protective measures.
The Virginia Board of Health and Safety Codes voted Wednesday to adopt the temporary emergency standard for infectious disease prevention, which was written under the leadership of Governor Ralph Northam (D).
Virginia’s standards include mandatory personal protective equipment, sanitation, social distancing, infectious disease preparedness, record keeping, and training, and will be in effect for six months.
The rules come in the absence of a federal standard. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has refused to impose a national workplace safety standard COVID-19, despite calls from unions, Democrats and worker advocates.
“Workers should not have to sacrifice their health and safety to earn a living, especially during an ongoing global pandemic,” Northam said in a press release on Wednesday. “In the face of federal inaction, Virginia has taken a step forward to protect COVID-19 workers, creating the nation’s first enforceable workplace safety requirements.”
The standards, which were approved by a 9-2 vote with one abstention, also require that all employers order social distancing measures and confront employees in customer service positions.
If social distancing is not possible, employers should provide frequent access to hand washing or hand sanitizer. It also requires employers to regularly clean high-contact surfaces and notify employees within 24 hours if a coworker tests positive for the virus.
Employees known or suspected to be positive for COVID-19 cannot return to work for 10 days or until they receive two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests.
“Keeping Virginians safe at work is not only a critical part of stopping the spread of this virus, it is key to our economic recovery and it is the right thing to do,” Northam said.
The board will vote on the amendments and a final draft should be available soon, according to the governor’s office. For their promulgation, these standards must be published in a newspaper, which will take place in late July.
The Virginia AFL-CIO celebrated the move, calling it essential.
“We thank Governor Northam and the Board of Health and Safety Codes for being brave and making a historic move during these uncertain and unprecedented times in making Virginia the first state in the nation to issue a comprehensive standard to protect all workers. of COVID-19 “. President Doris Crouse-Mays said in a statement.
The Virginia Board of Safety and Health Codes voted in June to advance the standards. The fines for violations could range from $ 13,000 to $ 130,000, and would increase for repeat offenders.
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