Although EO 2020-115 states that employees that are able to work remote should remain doing so, many office buildings are beginning to reopen.  But there are safety precautions to be aware of after a building has been closed for an extended period of time.  The CDC has published COVID-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings guidance.

The guidance is divided into six categories, contains link to multiple additional guidance documents, and includes corresponding recommendations:

Create a COVID-19 workplace health and safety plan. The CDC encourages employers to review its Interim Guidance that was issued in March and is periodically updated.

Before resuming business operations, check the building to see if it’s ready for occupancy. Before allowing employees to return to work, employers should check to make sure that its HVAC and mechanical systems are operating properly and that any hazards due to prolonged closure, such as rodent infestation and mold, are remediated. The CDC recommends outdoor air circulation, if possible.

Identify where and how workers might be exposed to COVID-19 at work. Conduct a hazard assessment of the office to determine where employees are at increased risk for COVID-19 due to the inability to maintain social distancing (i.e., meeting rooms, locker rooms, break rooms, waiting and check-in areas, entrances, and exits). It is recommended to use the hierarchy of controls to determine how to implement feasible and effective solutions:

• Engineering controls: Isolate workers from the hazard. Modify or adjust seats, furniture, and workstations to maintain social distancing of 6 feet between employees; physically separate employees in all areas of the facilities including work areas and other areas such as meeting rooms, break rooms, parking lots, entrance and exit areas, and locker rooms; replace shared items, such as water coolers and coffee pots, with single-serving items; improve building ventilation, perhaps by use of HEPA filtration systems, exhaust fans (especially in rest rooms), and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.

• Administrative controls: Change the way people work. Encourage sick employees, or those with a sick family member to stay home; conduct enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the workplace; conduct daily health checks such as temperature screening; stagger shifts, start times, and break times when possible to reduce the density of employees in common areas; require employees to wear a face covering over their noses and mouths; clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.

Educate employees and supervisors about steps they can take to protect themselves at work. Provide training to employees on symptoms of infection, staying home when ill, social distancing, personal protective equipment, hand hygiene practices, and identifying and minimizing potential modes of COVID-19 transmission.

The CDC guidance highlights the need for employers to make major changes in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Employers will likely need to make changes to the physical workspace and its policies to meet the CDC’s recommendations. The CDC directs employers to its Interim Guidance, FAQs, and COVID-19 page for more information.

Additional ASE Resources

COVID-19 Response Plan Template - ASE has created a template COVID-19 response plan. It's free to ASE members and available for $99 to non-members.  Access or request to purchase here.

Back-to-Work Checklist – ASE and the Luminious Group have created a Back-to-Work Checklist, a guide for returning to work in the era of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Resources - For more information on Coronavirus response, please visit the ASE Coronavirus Resources page.

Employer FAQs – Search our site for FAQs regarding all employer-related COVID-19 questions here.

Source: CDC