Starting Monday, restrictions on office space in Boston will start to ease. During this first phase, employers will have to follow safety guidelines from the state and CDC while limiting the use of office space to 25 percent occupancy or less.
Offices in Boston are scheduled to begin reopening on Monday, one week after they began reopening in the rest of Massachusetts.
Mayor Marty Walsh released guidelines and operational recommendations Thursday for public and private businesses, employers and landlords ahead of Boston's reopening.
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The framework, which focuses on social distancing, good hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, staffing and operations, builds on specific statewide workplace safety standards and incorporates guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other industry associations.
"Our first and foremost priority in making available these guidelines is to empower businesses and employers to act now and put in place safety precautions and protocols before beginning to reopen," Walsh said. "In the City of Boston, we recognize the size of our commercial sector and the unique role we play in the region's working and commuting patterns. That's why it's so important that as a city, we collectively do everything we can now to institute the necessary safeguards that will allow businesses to reopen in a safe and healthy way when they are ready to do so."
Here's a closer look at some of the recommendations:
SOCIAL DISTANCING
• Entrances, Lobbies and Reception: Post clear signage and markers of 6-foot social distancing spaces in all high traffic areas, particularly where lines form; limit entry and access points unless required for compliance with building safety regulations; limit public interactions and public access to buildings by closing lobby seating or other public gathering spaces; deploy sanitizing stations at high traffic areas; discourage use of revolving doors in favor of swing doors where possible; enable no-touch employee security access points; encourage use of door-stoppers where possible to minimize contact with doorknobs
• Elevators, Stairwells, Hallways, Corridors: No more than four people in an elevator at a time, and all must wear face coverings, except when unsafe due to medical condition or disability; when possible, building occupants who are able to should be instructed to use the stairs in common directions, and stairs should be limited to one direction; regular sanitation of handrails, buttons, and door handles
• Cafeterias: Implement one-way directional traffic flows and 6-foot social distancing standards for queuing at checkout and cash registers; install touchless payment options where possible and sanitize point of sale terminals after customer use; supply individually wrapped single-use disposable utensils and products; eliminate self-serve fountain machines and coffee stations; regularly sanitize high-touch areas such as napkin dispensers; install safety barriers to protect food-service workers at points of contact such as cashier stands and checkout lines.
HYGIENE PROTOCOLS
• Maintain an adequate supply chain to ensure continuity of vital COVID-19 related supplies and identify backup suppliers.
• Avoid sharing office equipment or disinfect between use, including but not limited to telephones, computers, copy machines, water coolers, etc.
• Where possible, open windows for better ventilation.
• Follow CDC specific recommendations regarding Building Engineering Controls.
STAFFING AND OPERATIONS
• Policies and Documentation: Identify and clearly communicate a workplace coordinator who will be responsible for COVID-19 issues and impact on the workplace; conduct a hazard assessment to determine if workplace hazards are present and determine what types of mitigants are necessary to specific job duties; provide personal protective equipment for any employee whose job function requires it; implement and maintain symptom screening procedure at entrances; establish accommodation and leave policies for employees consistent with federal and state laws.
• Ongoing Operations: Ensure employees and visitors to the building use face coverings, except when unsafe due to medical condition or disability; employers should make face coverings available for their employees (reusable, cloth face covering when possible); encourage flexible meeting options to reduce non-essential travel; monitor and prepare for spikes in sick of absent employees by cross-training employees to maintain critical business processes.
• Communication: Communicate workplace policies clearly, frequently, in multiple languages, and through various channels; utilize an emergency notification system when necessary; and maintain updated contact information for employees.
• Commuting: When possible, allow for flexibility in working hours so employees can commute during non-peak hours; encourage employees to wash their hands upon entering the workplace.
CLEANING AND DISINFECTING
• Schedule frequent cleaning of public spaces, high touch surfaces and communal areas.
• Have a written cleaning plan available to all staff for review that includes specific COVID-19 considerations, including: frequency of restocking of hygiene supplies, cleaning schedule of general areas, floors and high touch surfaces, and a response action protocol for any known space where a confirmed case of infection of exposure might have occurred, and notification to the workplace coordinator.
For more on the phased-in reopening in the City of Boston, go to boston.gov/reopening.
