COVID-19 Training and Protocols for Texas Employers

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.  

On July 2, the State of Texas issued a revised checklist of minimum standards for employers and event organizers to follow to protect workers and limit the spread of COVID-19. This latest revision requires training for all employees and contractors on how to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 infection and how to prevent transmission.

The “Health protocols for your employees and contractors” section of the checklist, linked below, states that all employees and contractors must recieve COVID-19 training that covers “appropriate cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.”

Appropriate COVID-19 training may include, but is not limited to:

• How to establish and maintain adequate social distancing;
• Face covering etiquette and requirements;
• Coughing and/or sneezing etiquette;
• Proper hand washing protocols as well as proper hand sanitizer usage; and
• Guidance on cleaning and sanitizing high-touch surfaces such as workstations, equipment, screens, doorknobs, and restrooms.

In addition to providing COVID-19 training for workers, employers must screen all employees and contractors for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 before they enter the business, clean and disinfect the workplace at least daily, and maintain 6 feet of separation between individuals where possible. The checklist also sets occupancy limits for facilities and elevators. 

Read the full checklist here.

Now Available: COVID-19 Safety Awareness Online Training

This week, Lion launched the COVID-19 Employee Safety Awareness Online Course to help US workplaces re-open safely. As facilities nationwide begin to re-open, it is crucial that employees know how to protect themselves and their co-workers from exposure to COVID-19.

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 

The course is designed to help employers nationwide satisfy COVID-19 employee awareness and training requirements now in place in many states, including Texas. 
 

Tags: covid-19 training by state, COVID-19 training Texas, OSH Act, 'SARS-CoV-2, Texas COVID-19 checklist