Pennsylvania issues safety guidelines for essential businesses

A safety order that provides life-sustaining businesses with direction on how to properly clean and maintain buildings to help prevent the spread of covid-19 was issued Sunday by state Secretary of Health Rachel Levine.

The Building Safety Measures order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. April 6.

It outlines measures for owners of buildings of at least 50,000 square feet that are used for commercial, industrial or other enterprises, including facilities for warehousing, manufacturing, commercial offices, airports, grocery stores, universities, colleges, government, hotels, and residential buildings with at least 50 units.

“Cleaning, disinfecting, and other maintenance and security services performed by building service employees are critical to protecting the public health by reducing covid-19 infections in the commonwealth,” the order says.

Officials in March made the decision to close all non-life-sustaining businesses to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

“Based upon the manner of covid-19’s spread in the commonwealth and in the world, and its danger to Pennsylvanians, I have determined that the appropriate disease control measure is the direction of building safety measures as outlined in this order to prevent and control the spread of disease,” Levine wrote.

Protocols outlined in the order:

• Clean and disinfect high-touch areas routinely in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, in spaces that are accessible to customers, tenants or other individuals.

• Maintain pre-existing cleaning protocols established in the facility for all other areas of the building.

• Ensure that the facility has a sufficient number of employees to perform the above protocols effectively and in a manner that ensures the safety of occupants and employees.

• Ensure that the facility has a sufficient number of security employees to control access, maintain order and enforce social distancing of at least 6 feet, provided the security employees are otherwise responsible for such enforcement.

To view the full order click here.