COVID-19 Training Requirements for Massachusetts 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.  

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development now requires employers in the state to provide COVID-19 training for employees.

The new standard is outlined in the state's Reopening: Mandatory Safety Standards for Workplaces guidance to assist business in reopening safely. The guidance outlines requirements businesses must follow in order to reopen, including provisions related to social distancing, hygiene, staffing and general operations, cleaning and disinfecting, and sector-specific safety provisions.

What COVID-19 Training is Required?

In particular, the guidance requires employers to provide COVID-19 training to all employees on social distancing and hygiene protocols. Therefore, training may include, but is not limited to:

• How to establish and maintain adequate social distancing;
• Face covering etiquette and requirements;
• Proper hand washing protocols; and
• Guidance on sanitizing high-touch surfaces such as workstations, equipment, screens, doorknobs, and restrooms.

Read the entire Reopening: Mandatory Safety Standards for Workplaces guidance 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 Massachusetts. 

Tags: covid-19 training by state, COVID-19 training Massachusetts, OSH Act, SARS-CoV-2