Here are the safeguards Gov. Whitmer put in place for the economies reopening in Michigan

Workers return to FCA Chrysler Warren Truck Assembly to restart production on May 18, 2020 in Warren, Michigan. - This plant produces the Ram 1500 trucks. Detroit's auto giants are keen to resume production this week, but there will be unease on asse

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced an executive order Monday to ensure protections for Michigan workers as new parts of the economy are re-engaged. These sectors include outdoor industries, the construction industry, manufacturing facilities, research laboratories, retail stores, offices and bars and restaurants.

As of right now, the outdoor, construction, manufacturing and research industries are open statewide in Michigan. Retail stores, office and bars are restaurant reopenings are only limited to the Upper Peninsula and the Traverse City area right now. You can read more about that here

The new executive order requires all of these industries and businesses, no matter their location, to adhere to strict safety guidelines to protect their workers, their patrons and their communities from infection. 

READ MORE: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says businesses in UP, parts of lower Michigan can reopen amid falling COVID-19 cases

Under Executive Order 2020-91, all businesses that resume in-person work must develop a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and make it available to employees and customers by June 1, or within two weeks of resuming in-person activities. 

All re-engaged businesses must also provide COVID-19 training to workers that covers, at a minimum, workplace infection-control practices, the proper use of PPE, steps workers must take to notify the business or operation of any symptoms of COVID-19 or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, and how to report unsafe working conditions.  

Here are the additional safeguards for each of the following sectors of the economy: 

OUTDOOR INDUSTRIES

  • Prohibit gatherings of any size in which people cannot maintain six feet of distance from one another.
  • Limit in-person interaction with clients and patrons to the maximum extent possible, and bar any such interaction in which people cannot maintain six feet of distance from one another.
  • Provide and require the use of personal protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, face shields, and face coverings, as appropriate for the activity being performed.
  • Adopt protocols to limit the sharing of tools and equipment to the maximum extent possible and to ensure frequent and thorough cleaning and disinfection of tools, equipment, and frequently touched surfaces.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 

  • Conduct a daily entry screening protocol for employees, contractors, suppliers, and any other individuals entering a worksite, including a questionnaire covering symptoms and suspected or confirmed exposure to people with possible COVID-19, together with, if possible, a temperature screening.
  • Create dedicated entry point(s) at every worksite, if possible, for daily screening as provided in sub-provision (b) of this section, or in the alternative issue stickers or other indicators to employees to show that they received a screening before entering the worksite that day.
  • Provide instructions for the distribution of personal protective equipment and designate on-site locations for soiled face coverings.
  • Require the use of work gloves where appropriate to prevent skin contact with contaminated surfaces.
  • Identify choke points and high-risk areas where employees must stand near one another (such as hallways, hoists and elevators, break areas, water stations, and buses) and control their access and use (including through physical barriers) so that social distancing is maintained.
  • Ensure there are sufficient hand-washing or hand-sanitizing stations at the worksite to enable easy access by employees.
  • Notify contractors (if a subcontractor) or owners (if a contractor) of any confirmed COVID-19 cases among employees at the worksite.
  • Restrict unnecessary movement between project sites.
  • Create protocols for minimizing personal contact upon delivery of materials to the worksite.

MANUFACTURING FACILITIES 

  • Conduct a daily entry screening protocol for employees, contractors, suppliers, and any other individuals entering the facility, including a questionnaire covering symptoms and suspected or confirmed exposure to people with possible COVID-19, together with temperature screening as soon as no-touch thermometers can be obtained.
  • Create dedicated entry point(s) at every facility for daily screening as provided in sub-provision (a) of this section, and ensure physical barriers are in place to prevent anyone from bypassing the screening.
  • Suspend all non-essential in-person visits, including tours.
  • Train employees on, at a minimum: Routes by which the virus causing COVID-19 is transmitted from person to person. Distance that the virus can travel in the air, as well as the time it remains viable in the air and on environmental surfaces. The use of personal protective equipment, including the proper steps for putting it on and taking it off.
  • Routes by which the virus causing COVID-19 is transmitted from person to person.
  • Distance that the virus can travel in the air, as well as the time it remains viable in the air and on environmental surfaces.
  • The use of personal protective equipment, including the proper steps for putting it on and taking it off.
  • Reduce congestion in common spaces wherever practicable by, for example, closing salad bars and buffets within cafeterias and kitchens, requiring individuals to sit at least six feet from one another, placing markings on the floor to allow social distancing while standing in line, offering boxed food via delivery or pick-up points, and reducing cash payments.
  • Implement rotational shift schedules where possible (e.g., increasing the number of shifts, alternating days or weeks) to reduce the number of employees in the facility at the same time.
  • Stagger meal and break times, as well as start times at each entrance, where possible.
  • Install temporary physical barriers, where practicable, between work stations and cafeteria tables.
  • Create protocols for minimizing personal contact upon delivery of materials to the facility.
  • Adopt protocols to limit the sharing of tools and equipment to the maximum extent possible.
  • Ensure there are sufficient hand-washing or hand-sanitizing stations at the worksite to enable easy access by employees, and discontinue use of hand dryers.
  • Notify plant leaders and potentially exposed individuals upon identification of a positive case of COVID-19 in the facility, as well as maintain a central log for symptomatic employees or employees who received a positive test for COVID-19.
  • Send potentially exposed individuals home upon identification of a positive case of COVID-19 in the facility.
  • Require employees to self-report to plant leaders as soon as possible after developing symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Shut areas of the manufacturing facility for cleaning and disinfection, as necessary, if an employee goes home because he or she is displaying symptoms of COVID-19.

RESEARCH LABORATORIES OTHER THAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTING 

  • Assign dedicated entry point(s) and/or times into lab buildings.
  • Conduct a daily entry screening protocol for employees, contractors, suppliers, and any other individuals entering a worksite, including a questionnaire covering symptoms and suspected or confirmed exposure to people with possible COVID-19, together with, if possible, a temperature screening.
  • Create protocols and/or checklists as necessary to conform to the facility’s COVID-19 preparedness and response plan under section 1(a).
  • Suspend all non-essential in-person visitors (including visiting scholars and undergraduate students) until further notice.
  • Establish and implement a plan for distributing face coverings.
  • Limit the number of people per square feet of floor space permitted in a particular laboratory at one time.
  • Close open workspaces, cafeterias, and conference rooms.
  • As necessary, use tape on the floor to demarcate socially distanced workspaces and to create one-way traffic flow.
  • Require all office and dry lab work to be conducted remotely.
  • Minimize the use of shared lab equipment and shared lab tools and create protocols for disinfecting lab equipment and lab tools.
  • Provide disinfecting supplies and require employees to wipe down their work stations at least twice daily.
  • Implement an audit and compliance procedure to ensure that cleaning criteria are followed.
  • Establish a clear reporting process for any symptomatic individual or any individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19, including the notification of lab leaders and the maintenance of a central log.
  • Clean and disinfect the work site when an employee is sent home with symptoms or with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
  • Send any potentially exposed co-workers home if there is a positive case in the facility.
  • Restrict all non-essential travel, including in-person conference events.

RETAIL STORES OPEN FOR IN-STORE SALES 

  • Create communications material for customers (e.g., signs or pamphlets) to inform them of changes to store practices and to explain the precautions the store is taking to prevent infection.
  • Establish lines to regulate entry in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, with markings for patrons to enable them to stand at least six feet apart from one another while waiting. Stores should also explore alternatives to lines, including by allowing customers to wait in their cars for a text message or phone call, to enable social distancing and to accommodate seniors and those with disabilities.
  • Adhere to the following restrictions: For stores of less than 50,000 square feet of customer floor space, must limit the number of people in the store (including employees) to 25% of the total occupancy limits established by the State Fire Marshal or a local fire marshal. Stores of more than 50,000 square feet must: Limit the number of customers in the store at one time (excluding employees) to 4 people per 1,000 square feet of customer floor space. Create at least two hours per week of dedicated shopping time for vulnerable populations, which for purposes of this order are people over 60, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease. The director of the Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to issue an emergency order varying the capacity limits described in this subsection as necessary to protect the public health.
  • For stores of less than 50,000 square feet of customer floor space, must limit the number of people in the store (including employees) to 25% of the total occupancy limits established by the State Fire Marshal or a local fire marshal. Stores of more than 50,000 square feet must: Limit the number of customers in the store at one time (excluding employees) to 4 people per 1,000 square feet of customer floor space. Create at least two hours per week of dedicated shopping time for vulnerable populations, which for purposes of this order are people over 60, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease.
  • Limit the number of customers in the store at one time (excluding employees) to 4 people per 1,000 square feet of customer floor space.
  • Create at least two hours per week of dedicated shopping time for vulnerable populations, which for purposes of this order are people over 60, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease.
  • The director of the Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to issue an emergency order varying the capacity limits described in this subsection as necessary to protect the public health.
  • Post signs at store entrance(s) instructing customers of their legal obligation to wear a face covering when inside the store.
  • Post signs at store entrance(s) informing customers not to enter if they are or have recently been sick.
  • Design spaces and store activities in a manner that encourages employees and customers to maintain six feet of distance from one another.
  • Install physical barriers at checkout or other service points that require interaction, including plexiglass barriers, tape markers, or tables, as appropriate.
  • Establish an enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocol for high-touch areas like restrooms, credit-card machines, keypads, counters, shopping carts, and other surfaces.
  • Train employees on: Appropriate cleaning procedures, including training for cashiers on cleaning between customers. How to manage symptomatic customers upon entry or in the store.
  • Appropriate cleaning procedures, including training for cashiers on cleaning between customers.
  • How to manage symptomatic customers upon entry or in the store.
  • Notify employees if the employer learns that an individual (including a customer or supplier) with a confirmed case of COVID-19 has visited the store.
  • Limit staffing to the minimum number necessary to operate

OFFICES 

  • Assign dedicated entry point(s) for all employees to reduce congestion at the main entrance.
  • Provide visual indicators of appropriate spacing for employees outside the building in case of congestion.
  • Take steps to reduce entry congestion and to ensure the effectiveness of screening (e.g., by staggering start times, adopting a rotational schedule in only half of employees are in the office at a particular time).
  • Require face coverings in shared spaces, including during in-person meetings and in restrooms and hallways.
  • Increase distancing between employees by spreading out workspaces, staggering workspace usage, restricting non-essential common space (e.g., cafeterias), providing visual cues to guide movement and activity (e.g., restricting elevator capacity with markings, locking conference rooms).
  • Turn off water fountains.
  • Prohibit social gatherings and meetings that do not allow for social distancing or that create unnecessary movement through the office.
  • Provide disinfecting supplies and require employees wipe down their work stations at least twice daily.
  • Post signs about the importance of personal hygiene.
  • Disinfect high-touch surfaces in offices (e.g., whiteboard markers, restrooms, handles) and minimize shared items when possible (e.g., pens, remotes, whiteboards).
  • Institute cleaning and communications protocols when employees are sent home with symptoms.
  • Notify employees if the employer learns that an individual (including a customer, supplier, or visitor) with a confirmed case of COVID-19 has visited the office.
  • Suspend all nonessential visitors.
  • Restrict all non-essential travel, including in-person conference events

RESTAURANTS AND BARS 

  • Limit capacity to 50% of normal seating.
  • Require six feet of separation between parties or groups at different tables or bar tops (e.g., spread tables out, use every other table, remove or put up chairs or barstools that are not in use).
  • Create communications material for customers (e.g., signs, pamphlets) to inform them of changes to restaurant or bar practices and to explain the precautions that are being taken to prevent infection.
  • Close waiting areas and ask customers to wait in cars for a call when their table is ready.
  • Close self-serve food or drink options, such as buffets, salad bars, and drink stations.
  • Provide physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signage on walls to ensure that customers remain at least six feet apart in any lines.
  • Post sign(s) at store entrance(s) informing customers not to enter if they are or have recently been sick.
  • Post sign(s) instructing customers to wear face coverings until they get to their table.
  • Require hosts and servers to wear face coverings in the dining area.
  • Require employees to wear face coverings and gloves in the kitchen area when handling food, consistent with guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).
  • Limit shared items for customers (e.g., condiments, menus) and clean high contact areas after each customer (e.g., tables, chairs, menus, payment tools, condiments).
  • Train employees on: Appropriate use of personal protective equipment in conjunction with food safety guidelines. Food safety health protocols (e.g., cleaning between customers, especially shared condiments). How to manage symptomatic customers upon entry or in the restaurant.
  • Appropriate use of personal protective equipment in conjunction with food safety guidelines.
  • Food safety health protocols (e.g., cleaning between customers, especially shared condiments).
  • How to manage symptomatic customers upon entry or in the restaurant.
  • Notify employees if the employer learns that an individual (including an employee, customer, or supplier) with a confirmed case of COVID-19 has visited the store.
  • Close restaurant immediately if an employee shows multiple symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, atypical shortness of breath, atypical cough) and perform a deep clean, consistent with guidance from FDA and the Center for Disease Control. Such cleaning may occur overnight.
  • Require a doctor’s written release to return to work if an employee has a confirmed case of COVID-19.
  • Install physical barriers, such as sneeze guards and partitions at cash registers, bars, host stands, and other areas where maintaining physical distance of six feet is difficult.
  • To the maximum extent possible, limit the number of employees in shared spaces, including kitchens, break rooms, and offices, to maintain at least a six-foot distance between employees.

You can see the full executive order online here

Health Coronavirus In-michiganCoronavirus EconomyUs Mi