The Occupational Health & Safety E-News reports that Virginia’s safety rule to protect workers from COVID-19 could serve as a model for regulation across the United States, per an article from Bloomberg Law.
Virginia became the first state to enact a permanent COVID-19 rule on January 27, which arrived less than one week after President Biden’s executive order that directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to decide on whether a national COVID-19 rule is necessary.
According to OH&S E-News, the Virginia standard classifies workplaces into high, medium, and low risk. High-risk workplaces include health care facilities, while medium-risk workplaces include transportation, schools, and retail. Office buildings are considered low-risk workplaces.
The E-News article states a characteristic of Virginia’s rule that makes it a possible template for a national rule is its adaptability. The rule is written so that any Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance changes will be incorporated into a revised version of the rule.
Click here to learn more about the Virginia standard.
Click here to visit NGWA’s COVID-19 News and Resources web page.