Tennessee Reopening Checklists

This article will briefly answer the following questions:

• What is Tennessee’s reopening plan?
• What are the Tennessee reopening phases?
• Why are reopening checks important for Tennessean businesses?
• What are Tennessee reopening checklists?

The Tennessee Pledge: Reopening Tennessee Responsibly

According to Gov. Lee and Tennessee’s COVID-19 Unified-Command Group (or UCG, an interdepartmental team that streamlines coordination among the Emergency Management Agency, Department of Health, and Department of Military) and Economic Recovery Group (or ERG, a public-private partnership that facilitates connection, collaboration, and communication across statewide industries), the “Tennessee Pledge” is a plan to help Tennesseans return to work in a safe environment, restore their livelihoods, and reboot the state’s economy.

Initially announced on April 23 for restaurants and retail outfits operating at 50% capacity, the 87-page document outlines first-phase reopening guidelines for 89 out of 95 counties as the six counties that have their own health departments—Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, and Sullivan—will reopen according to their own respective schedules.

Tennessee Reopening Phases from Nashville

While Gov. Lee has yet to explicitly share a phased course of action for reopening the state—aside from what’s recommended in the Tennessee Pledge, where the words “phase” and “stage” can’t be found, Mayor John Cooper has implemented a Roadmap for Reopening Nashville, the capital and most populous city of Tennessee, since May 11.

The county seat of Davidson acknowledges that their city will be living with COVID-19 until there is an effective virus which means that their labor force will be returning to work during the outbreak. Currently in Phase 2, Nashville claims that their economy will open in four phases and will only move to the next phase if there is positive improvement or stability in the metrics for 14 days. Here’s the updated Roadmap for Reopening Nashville Grid.

Tennessean Business Reopening Inspections

Restrictions or policies are being modified according to the number of cases per county. Whatever the current state of reopening in counties across Tennessee, all businesses—restaurants, bars serving food, retail stores, personal care services, fitness and exercise, museums and attractions, day camps—should adhere to Tennessee’s reopening guidelines and COVID-19 risk assessments or reopening readiness assessments with round-the-clock health and safety inspections can help employers reopen strong and safely continue business operations amidst the new Coronavirus pandemic.

Elements of Tennessee Reopening Checklists

A Tennessee reopening checklist is a tool based on the safeguarding guidance in the Tennessee Pledge used to provide safe working conditions that protect both employees and consumers. It aims to encourage Tennesseans to act responsibly by following recommended guidelines for physical distancing, hygiene, and wearing protective equipment when appropriate. Tennessee reopening checklists for employers usually covers:

• • Screen all employees reporting to work for COVID-19 symptoms
  • Implement workplace cleaning and disinfection practices
  • Mitigate exposure in the workplace through physical distancing
  • Plan for potential COVID-19 cases
  • Update the Employee Illness Policy
  • Limit self-service options
  • Post extensive signage on health policies

To make it easier for Tennesseans to get safely back to business and continue safe operations amidst a global pandemic, we’ve surfaced these statewide industry guidance-based reopening checklists you can download for free and use with iAuditor by SafetyCulture.

Disclaimer: Please note that these checklists are hypothetical examples and provide basic information only. They are not intended to take the place of medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should also seek professional advice to determine if the use of such checklists are permissible in your workplace or jurisdiction.