How to ReOpen Business after COVID Shutdown

Most of us are faced with resolving how to safely and effectively reopen a business during this unprecedented COVID-19 shutdown. Our team has consolidated our best industry practices with those from OSHA, CDC, WHO, and EPA to create a master reference page.

This is an ongoing task; we welcome readers to share their own strategies for how to reopen business after COVID, and then also to return to watch for updates.

COVID-19 Products

General Workplace Safety
- Evaluate your workspace to determine which surfaces need to be cleaned (according to the CDC, if surfaces have been untouched for more than 7 days, they only require typical cleaning; COVID-19 has not been shown to survive for longer than 7 days on most surfaces).
  - Keep supplies and guidelines available for frequently-touched surfaces that will need to be disinfected regularly during business hours.
- Be sure to clean with CDC-approved disinfectants.
- Evaluate whether you should consider taking employee temperatures and/or testing them for COVID-19.
  - Consider logistics of this testing, privacy issues for your employees, how to store the test results, etc.
- Consider minimizing exposure from staffing overlap by adjusting work schedules, shifting to flex hours, etc.
- Ensure that appropriate Personal Protective Equipment is available for employees that work in close proximity to each other or customers.
- Prioritize the order of returning employees with liability and function in mind (age, medical conditions, family).
- Will you require employees to wear masks?
  - Will you be providing masks to your workers? Can they bring their own?\
  - What are the guidelines? Are they full coverage masks, or bandannas?
  - Will this apply to all employees, or just a select group? (eg, only at check out stands, etc.)
  - How should they clean the masks?
  - How should they dispose of used masks?
  - Consider your policies for employee non-compliance.
- Will you require employees to wear disposable gloves?
- How will you deal with deliveries to your facility?
  - Will you clean new deliveries?
  - Will you require delivery personnel to wear masks?
  - How will they sanitize their hands, pens, etc.?
- Do you have sanitizer dispensers at all high-traffic, essential locations?
Social Distancing for Employee-to-Employee Interactions
- Do you need reminder signs, plastic barriers or sanitizer dispensers in break-rooms, bathrooms, conference rooms, etc?
- Do you need floor spacing or flow control guidelines between desks and in hallways, or in lunchrooms, etc?
- Should you move desks farther apart, or add plastic barriers and/or sneeze guards between desks?
Social Distancing for Employee-to-Customer Interactions
- Do you need plastic barriers at check-out stands or counters?
- Do you need signage on the floor to help with spacing for lines, entry ways and/or aisles?
- Do you need signage on any walls to remind everyone of safe practices?
Social Distancing for Customer-to-Customer Interactions
- Do you need floor spacing signage to ensure safe distance?
- Consider your policies for customer non-compliance?
Policies
- Prepare a policy guideline for COVID-19, detailing handwashing frequency, respiratory etiquette (cover your mouth when sneezing, etc.), and discourage employees from unnecessary contact.
- Some employees may feel unsafe to return to work for varying reasons. How will you approach this?
  - Some may have high risk medical factors, or family at home with those factors.
  - Some may want hazardous duty pay.
- Create a plan for anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Be prepared to put them in-touch with medical resources if needed.