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.
Download Free Tennessee Reopening Checklists
Tennessee Reopening Checklist for Retailers
This checklist is based on Tennessee reopening guidelines and is created to help Tennessean retailers put into place an assortment of measures to protect consumers and employees including specific business process adaptations such as limiting the number of customers inside a store, using a clearly designated entrance and a separate clearly designated exit, and more. Use this checklist to automatically generate a comprehensive report with photo evidence, share with key stakeholders such as investors, clients, or personnel, and secure inspection results in the cloud which can be easily accessed by authorized people anytime, anywhere.
Tennessee Reopening Checklist for Manufacturers
This COVID-19 prevention checklist is designed for Tennessee-based manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors as a supplement in assisting their businesses to take appropriate precautions for coronavirus, carefully evaluating the applicability and potential efficacy as applied. Use iAuditor’s drag-and-drop template editor to customize this checklist with manufacturing facility-specific requirements, fulfill other production needs, and reopen strong.
Tennessee Reopening Checklist for Restaurateurs
This reopening checklist is a tool used for Tennessean restaurateurs’ strict adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines when continuing food preparation and services or restaurant operations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Use this checklist to highlight the importance of regular handwashing, stagger shifts, breaks, and meals in compliance with wage and hour laws and regulations to maintain physical distancing, and more.