Virginia Releases Final Emergency Temporary Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention

The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has released the final version of the Emergency Temporary Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention: SARS-CoV-2 Virus That Causes COVID-19.  This standard applies to every employer, employee and place of employment in Virginia that is within the jurisdiction of the VOSH program.  The standard will take immediate effect upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation in Richmond, Va.  This publication is anticipated the week of July 27. 

Some components of the standard include:

• Requirement for employers to assess their workplace for hazards and job tasks that can potentially expose employees to the virus and classify each job task as Very High, High, Medium or Lower risk levels of exposure
• Mandatory requirements for all employers and additional requirements for employers with hazards or job tasks classified as Very High, High or Medium exposure risk.
• Requirement for developing an Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan for employers with hazards or job tasks classified as Very High and High and employers classified as Medium with 11 or more employees
• Training requirements
• The Virginia Department of Health is to be notified within 24 hours of the discovery of a positive case.
• The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry is to be notified within 24 hours of the discovery of three (3) or more employees present at the place of employment within a 14-day period testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus during that 14-day time period.

Additional resources to assist employers in complying with the standard can be found here:
https://www.doli.virginia.gov/covid-19-outreach-education-and-training/ (This page will be updated regularly as new materials become available.)

Please reach out to your Scott Risk Advisor or Risk Performance Specialist with any questions or concerns about your business’ ongoing needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.