You may be aware that the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) has issued new guidelines for ALL businesses in the Commonwealth. The Emergency Temporary Standard became effective on July 27, 2020 and was designed to establish requirements for employers to control, prevent and mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2. All businesses have 30 days to comply with the law.

 

The VDA’s leadership and Back to Work Task Force has been hard at work and are pleased to provide you with a template to help your office become compliant with the new law. This template will not only assist your office in satisfying the new Virginia Department of Labor requirement, but we have combined the OSHA Hazard assessment with the template to fulfill the requirements for both OSHA and the State.

 

Please take the time to read the document. You will need to designate a person in your office (Designated Employee) to oversee implementation and compliance testing. In the appendices of the document you will find reference to the VDA Interim Guidelines as well as the ADA Interim Guidelines and other important references, which we suggest you read and print to keep on file with the completed guideline document. There are also posters ready to print and post in your office as well as a post-test for employees to take after training.

 

Each office is responsible for training employees. Training can take place virtually, by email, by webinar, in-person (while maintaining social distance) or any other means you see appropriate.

 

Look for the VDA to put together a webinar on the new template, its implementation and FAQ’s in the near future.

 

Once again, we truly value your membership and hope you find value in the services we provide our members.

The VDA is pleased to provide these guidelines as an educational benefit to member dentists. Note these guidelines do not have the effect of law and are not intended to constitute legal advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult their counsel for guidance on all issues including liability.