Env Svcs COVID-19 Updates

Businesses in operation must have a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan

Your business’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan will establish and explain the policies, practices and conditions the business will implement to meet the industry guidance for your business type. These guidelines are based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and applicable executive orders related to safety and health in workplaces. Your Plan should have the strong commitment of management and be developed and implemented with the participation of workers.

Your Plan will help protect your staff and patrons

Employers and employees can decrease the spread of COVID-19 and lower the impact in your workplace by communicating and implementing a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Effectively implemented Plans:

• Prevent and reduce transmission among employees,
• Maintain healthy business operations, and
• Maintain a healthy work environment.

Ensure your Plan meets the requirements

Employers in collaboration with employees need to consider how best to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and lower the impact in your workplace.

Assign a designated Plan administrator to ensure the Plan is evaluated, monitored, executed, and updated.

An easy way to make sure that your Plan meets the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan requirements is to use the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan Template and Industry Guidance for Safely Reopening: Restaurants & Bars document. Both of these documents can be found on the Stay Safe Minnesota Website.

The key requirements of the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for Bars and Restaurants include, but are not limited to:

• Adopt and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
• Ensure a minimum of 6 feet of distance between parties
• Limit indoor occupant capacity to no more than 50% up to 250 persons
• Do not exceed 250 persons in outdoor spaces
• Limit service to parties of 4 persons, or 6 if part of one family unit
• Require patrons in bars to be seated
• Require reservations
• Require workers to wear face coverings at all times
• Require customers to wear face coverings at all times when indoors and when not eating or drinking.

Review your Plan regularly to ensure that it still meets the requirements. For example, you may need to update your Plan to include the new statewide masking requirements.

Make your Plan available

COVID-19 Preparedness Plans must be communicated to workers and posted at the workplace in a manner that is accessible for workers to review. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), in consultation with the Minnesota Department of Health, has the authority to determine whether a Plan is adequate. You are not required to submit your Plan to the state for approval.

Get help with your Plan

We encourage you to contact MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation for assistance or questions related to the development of a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan at 651-284-5060, 800-657-3776 or osha.consultation@state.mn.us.