Ohio Checklist for Businesses/employers (COVID-19)

This general guidance can be used by employers and owners of businesses that are reopening in the State of Ohio. Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, M.D., MPH, has lifted many of the mandatory requirements put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and businesses have been permitted to reopen, with newly established workplace requirements. This checklist is created based on COVID-19 Information and Checklist for Businesses/Employers. Source: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/checklists/english-checklists/Businesses-Employers-COVID-19-Checklist

Inspection

Facial Coverings

Comply with state regulations on facial coverings.

Allow customers, visitors, vendors, and other visitors to wear face coverings except for certain documented legal, life, health, safety, or security considerations.

Require all employees to wear face coverings unless they are prohibited by law or regulation; in violation of documented industry standards; not advisable for health reasons; in violation of the business’s documented safety policies; or there is a functional/practical reason not to wear one. They also are not required for employees who work alone in an assigned work area.

Social Distancing Requirements

Comply with social distancing requirements of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ohio Department of Health, including, where possible:

Designating 6-foot distances with signage, tape, or other means to allow for adequate social distancing between employees. This also applies to customers in lines.

Having hand sanitizer and sanitizing products readily available for employees and any customers.

Establishing separate operating hours for elderly and other vulnerable populations.

Posting online whether a facility is open and how best to reach the facility and continue services by phone or in another remote manner.

Allow as many employees as possible to work from home by implementing policies in areas such as teleworking and video conferencing.

If employees do report to workplaces:

Actively encourage sick employees to stay home until they have recovered.

As of May 4, guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are as follows:

- Employees who have not been tested should stay home until at least three full days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (no fever without use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in symptoms) AND at least 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms.

- Employees who have been tested should stay home until there is no fever without use of fever-reducing medications AND improvement in symptoms AND there are negative results (showing no COVID-19) on at least two consecutive lab tests of respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart.

Ensure that your sick leave policies are up to date, flexible, and non-punitive to allow sick employees to stay home to care for themselves, children, or other family members. Consider encouraging employees to do a self-assessment each day to check if they have any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath).

Separate employees who appear to have acute respiratory illness symptoms from other employees and send them home immediately. Restrict their access to the business until they have recovered.

Reinforce key messages — stay home when sick, use cough and sneeze etiquette, and practice hand hygiene — to all employees, and place posters in areas where they are most likely to be seen. Provide protection supplies such as soap and water, hand sanitizer, tissues, and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees.

Frequently perform enhanced environmental cleaning of commonly touched surfaces, such as workstations, countertops, railings, door handles, and doorknobs. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label. Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces can be wiped down by employees before each use.

Be prepared to change business practices if needed to maintain critical operations (e.g., identify alternative suppliers, prioritize customers, or temporarily suspend some of your operations).