To help employers re-open businesses safely and protect the safety and health of employees, Lion News staff is reviewing standards for COVID-19 preparedness, workplace controls, and employee training on a state-by-state basis.
To learn more, view our list of states with COVID-19 programs in place.
The State of Vermont now requires employers in the Green Mountain State to provide COVID-19-related training for employees.
The state’s COVID-19 training requirement was created by
Addendum 11 to Executive Order 01-20. Employee training must cover the health and safety requirements outlined by the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Agency (VOSHA).
According to the Vermont executive order,
employees must be trained at a minimum on:
- The signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and an explanation of how the disease is spread;
- Information on appropriate social distancing and personal hygiene practices, including those set forth in the addendum and applicable guidance set forth by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD); and
- The types, proper use, limitations, location, handling, decontamination, removal, and disposal of any PPE used.
Vermont businesses (including essential businesses), non-profits, and government entities are required to provide and document COVID-19 training for all employees that meets or exceeds these requirements.
For employees already working, COVID-19 training was required no later than May 4, 2020. New or returning workers should complete training when they are hired or upon their return to work. Healthcare workers, first responders, and others already trained in infectious control and personal protective equipment/universal precautions are excepted from the new COVID-19 training requirement.
Read the complete addendum here.
COVID-19 Safety Awareness Training for Employees
To help US workplaces open safely and provide required COVID-19 training for employees, Lion launched the
COVID-19 Employee Safety Awareness Online Course.
The course prepares employees to:
- Recognize signs, symptoms, and risk factors for COVID-19
- Describe how the COVID-19 disease is transmitted
- Follow recommended hygiene and work protocols to prevent exposure
- Properly use and care for PPE and face coverings, when required
To remain productive, confident, and healthy, employees must know the risks they face and how to protect themselves and their co-workers from exposure to COVID-19.