Governor Grisham issues COVID Safe Practices for all Employers

The Governor's Office has identified universal sector-specific COVID-Safe Practices (CSPs) for all businesses to adhere to in order to comply with the public health order and offer services in a safe and responsible manner. 

As the economy reopens, we are asking for your help to ensure all New Mexicans—your customers, employees, and families—take precautions to remain safe when entering a place of business.

Please help us set the highest standards for living with COVID-19 by enacting these requirements and additional best practices.

COVID Safe Practices for all Employers

Required

□ Limit operations to remote work to the greatest extent possible.
□ Arrange workplace to provide for 6 feet of distance between individuals wherever possible.
□ Close common areas where personnel are likely to congregate wherever possible or modify them to minimize contact.
□ Provide for all meetings to take place remotely whenever possible.
□ Ensure all employees have face coverings or masks and wear them in the workplace at all times when in the presence of others, except when eating, drinking or exercising, or unless otherwise advised by a health care provider.
□ Train all employees on daily cleaning and disinfecting protocol, hygiene, and respiratory etiquette (e.g., covering coughs).
□ Make handwashing, sanitizer, and other hygiene support available to employees. Note: the use of gloves is not a substitute for frequent handwashing.
□ Screen employees before they enter the workplace each day (verbally or with a written form or textbased or other app). Send employees home who are experiencing the following COVID-19 symptoms related to COVID-19 and direct them to obtain free testing through the Department of Health: 
     □ Fever      □ Cough      □ Shortness of breath      □ Sore throat      □ Headache      □ Muscle pain 
     □ Chills      □ Repeated shaking with chills      □ Loss of taste or smell
□ Prohibit employees with known close contact to a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 to return to work until authorized by the Department of Health.
□ Minimize non-essential travel. Adhere to CDC guidelines and state orders regarding isolation following out-of-state travel.
□ Adhere to all CDC and OSHA guidelines.

Best Practices

□ Develop a COVID-19 communication plan and provide a forum for answering employee questions and addressing concerns.
□ Appoint a COVID-Safe Practice leader or team to enact safe practices in the workplace.
□ Review employee leave policies and modify as needed to ensure compliance with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
□ Consider assigning vulnerable workers duties that minimize their contact with customers and other employees (e.g., managing inventory rather than working as a cashier, managing administrative needs through telework).
□ To support contact tracing, retain a daily log for at least four weeks including the date, name, phone number of all customers and employees who enter the workplace.
□ Follow all heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) preventative maintenance as required by the manufacturer on prescribed schedules. When possible, consult with an HVAC engineer to improve ventilation and minimize the potential for worker exposure.

Download: COVID Safe Practices for all Employers

Source: "Governor signs modified, extended public health order easing some restrictions and requiring face coverings"