NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York state has become the first in the nation to set health and safety standards to protect workers from COVID-19 and future airborne infectious diseases.
Under the “HERO Act,” which was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo late Wednesday evening, all businesses operating in New York will be required to adhere to new safety guidelines that will protect employees from airborne viruses.
Businesses will be required to provide personal protective equipment to all employees, adhere to social distancing measures and disinfecting protocols, ensure their offices have adequate airflow and more.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic began, it quickly became clear that New York's employers weren't taking adequate steps to protect their workers from airborne infectious disease. The State acted quickly to lay down basic guidelines through Executive Orders, but it was clear that a permanent, legislative solution was needed,” Cuomo said in a statement.
The bill was created as a nod in appreciation to all frontline workers who risked their lives during the height of the pandemic.
“The first-in-the-nation NY HERO Act directs State agencies to create clear, enforceable health and safety standards that private employers have to follow to keep their employees, and by extension their communities, safe. It also gives workers a voice in the process, so employers aren't the sole arbiters of workplace safety from disease,” Cuomo said of the legislation.
The governor said the new law is a “historic step forward for working people and a preventative measure that will ensure we're better prepared for the next public health crisis.”
Cuomo offered an amendment to the legislation must now go back to the Legislature for approval. The amendment will clarify the rules the Labor Department must write.
The addition to the law will delay its implementation.