A year into the COVID-19 pandemic many businesses feel they have a good handle on the COVID-19 safety basics for customers; masking, sanitizer and distancing. But if your small business has employees – are you aware of the higher standard to protect them? Many small businesses don’t have HR or Safety Departments tasked with this specific responsibility, so it is often the business owner themselves trying to keep up with compliance. The good news – MIOSHA has the tools employers need to be meet the requirements and additional COVID-19 mitigation best practice resources. Returning to larger capacities correlates with more employees at your business. Many employers are struggling to give customers and employees the confidence their sites are indeed safe to return, particularly if your business is indoors. Reviewing the citations issued for COVID-19 noncompliance the common themes were; lack of the required COVID-19 Preparedness & Response Plan, no documentation that employees were health screened for their shift and employees unaware of the required workplace safety protocols. Take a moment to review the MIOSHA Workplace Guidelines Factsheet for Employers and know there are free supporting resources for each requirement from MIOSHA. Additionally, some businesses may find a competitive advantage by choosing to participate in the optional MIOSHA Ambassador program. Consider if earning this designation, with the ability to use the associated logo, might be right for your business to build confidence with your customers and employees. Take a moment to explore the Michigan Occupation Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) resources:
MIOSHA Workplace Guidelines Reopening Checklist
MIOSHA COVID-19 Preparedness & Response Guidelines by Industry with Template
MIOSHA Ambassador Program Home Page
MIOSHA Ambassador Program Informational Video (3:12 Minutes)
Remember, your SBDC Business Consultants are here for you and can help evaluate if you have leveraged all of the resources available to your business.
– Michigan SBDC Northwest Business Consultant, Gretchen Swanson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP.