Virginia’s First-in-U.S. Worker Virus Safety Rule Takes Effect

Virginia’s first-in-the nation Covid-19 emergency worker protection rule is set to take effect July 27, according to the state’s Department of Labor and Industry.

The temporary standard requires employers covered by the department’s Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program, to immediately comply with guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state-issued instructions.

The standard allows employers 30 days to train workers to protect themselves from the coronavirus and 60 days to have in place an infectious disease preparedness and response plan.

While the rule is primarily seen as affecting manufacturing, agriculture, construction, retail, and service ...