The Town of Babylon has just released a reopening plan that focuses on getting businesses running, while protecting employees and customers.
The guidance is aimed at helping businesses prepare for phase one and two of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s reopening plan for the Long Island region, which includes construction manufacturing, and retail and wholesale trade. The guidance will be made available on the town’s website and social media and will be available to all business owners. The Town of Babylon Industrial Development Agency, under the direction of its CEO Tom Dolan, will conduct a remote canvass of all of Babylon’s businesses to make sure all businesses that can be, are ready for day one of the reopening.
The villages of Amityville, Babylon and Lindenhurst have also joined in the effort and will make the guidance available to their downtown businesses, according to a town statement.
The guide includes the following recommendations:
Develop a testing plan for employees and implement strict rules for sick or at-risk individuals, including enforcing quarantines when necessary. Also, require mandatory self-reporting and self-isolation upon known virus exposure.
Emphasize social distancing, including no in-person meetings in the office for at least a specified time. Encourage the use of technology for remote mediations, hearings, arguments and depositions.
Wear masks, both at work and when traveling to and from the office. Discourage the use of mass transit.
Decide which employees will return to the workplace and encourage those who can continue to work effectively from home to do so until the governor announces that the threat has sufficiently passed to allow for a more general return.
If scientific data supports immunity, persons who were diagnosed with and recovered from COVID-19 may be exempt from the general work-from-home recommendation.
Limit the number of people coming into the office at the same time, limit unnecessary employee movement within the office and develop one-way foot traffic patterns if possible.
Stagger workstations, limit touchpoints and install barriers for employees at locations with heavy foot traffic. Develop sanitizing and cleaning protocols in accordance with recommended CDC and OSHA guidance.
Develop strict customer and visitor policies, including restricting visitors from branch offices. Lawyers and staff should bring their own food.
Establish reasonable restrictions on use of restrooms and restrict the use of office common areas including joint refrigerators and office printers and copiers.
“This must-read guidance is vitally important to businesses of all sizes and industries,” Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer said in the statement. “It will ensure that they are better equipped to handle the new normal. We want businesses ready at the starting line so they can reopen in the safest and most efficient way when Babylon is finally back to business.”