Reopening Guidance and Safety Plan Templates for Phase 1 Industries

The guidance is evolving continuously and it can be tricky to keep pace with – but here’s a bit of clarity!

The Governor’s office has released guidelines and business safety templates for the select industries allowed to begin reopening in phase one. In the Finger Lakes Region, as of tomorrow Friday, May 15, these industries (listed below) will be allowed to start reopening.

All businesses, including essential businesses, are required to develop a COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan in order to reopen. This plan does not need to be submitted to a state agency for approval but must be retained on the premises of the business and must made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.

Business owners must read the “Summary Guidelines” and “Detailed Guidelines” for their industry (linked below), which helpfully detail out both mandatory measures and recommended best practices. Please note:

• The State has only released guidelines for the industries reopening in phase one. Additional guidelines will be released for future phases.

• These guidelines are minimum requirements, only, and any employer is free to provide additional precautions or increased restrictions.

• These guidelines are based on the best-known public health practices at the present time and are subject to further updates.

After reading the Guidelines, every business owner is required to provide a digital signature on a web-based affirmation form to confirm that you’ve reviewed the interim guidance and understand your obligation to operate in accordance with such guidance. The link to the affirmation form is available at the end of the Detailed Guidance (linked below).

Construction

• Summary Guidelines

• Detailed Guidelines

• Business Safety Template

Agriculture, forestry, Fishing & Hunting

• Agriculture Summary Guidelines

• Forestry Summary Guidelines

• Fishing Summary Guidelines

• Detailed Guidelines for Non-Food Agriculture

• Detailed Guidelines for Forestry Industry

• Detailed Guidelines for Fishing Industry

• Business Safety Template

Retail Trade

• Summary Guidelines

• Detailed Guidelines

• Business Safety Template

Manufacturing

• Summary Guidelines

• Detailed Guidelines

• Business Safety Template

Wholesale Trade

• Summary Guidelines

• Detailed Guidelines

• Business Safety Template

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. While we may not have a definitive answer in the face of constantly evolving guidance, we are here to help you troubleshoot!