You are reading

Gianaris Introduces HERO Act Aimed at Protecting Workers From COVID-19

State Sen. Michael Gianaris (NY Senate Media Services)

Jan. 11, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

State Sen. Michael Gianaris has introduced a bill aimed at protecting employees from contracting COVID-19 by improving workplace safety standards.

The bill, called the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO), would require businesses to implement a range of safety standards in order to reduce the spread of the disease in the workplace.

The legislation, if passed, would put in place a new set of workplace guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing, disinfecting and hand hygiene. New employee health screenings would also be required.

Gianaris said the bill would help to better protect employees who have been risking their safety by going to work. The bill was introduced on Jan. 6 and is now in committee.

“Too many workers have already sacrificed their health for our community’s benefit,” Gianaris said. “The New York HERO Act will honor their efforts by giving workers the tools to protect themselves while on the job.”

Under the legislation, the New York State Department of Health and the Dept. of Labor would be tasked with coming up with the new standards and would also be in charge of enforcing them.

The standards would require businesses to put in place protective barriers–such as those made out of plexiglass–and shields in order to keep workers safe. Businesses would also be required to provide appropriate protective clothing for workers.

Other measures include implementing social distancing rules using appropriate signs and markers.

Hand hygiene stations would have to be made easily accessible to workers and new procedures on disinfecting surface areas and shared equipment would also be necessary.

Businesses would have to ensure that there are proper airflow and exhaust ventilation systems at the workplace as well.

Furthermore, workers would be able to set up their own workplace health and safety committees in order to monitor the new standards, raise complaints and report violations. The bill would protect employees from workplace retaliation for doing so.

The legislation is supported by more than 100 labor, community, and safety organizations.

State Sen. Jessica Ramos is co-sponsoring the bill and said that the bill is a necessary step to protect the lives of working families during the pandemic and in the years ahead.

“During this pandemic, our workforce has put their lives and the lives of their families at risk in order to keep New York running,” Ramos said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Repeat hate crime offender charged in anti-Muslim subway attack in Forest Hills: DA

A Southeast Queens man is being held without bail after he was criminally charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman on an E train in Forest Hills during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 18.

Naved Durrni, 34, of 106th Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday and additionally charged with aggravated harassment in the first and second degrees.

Hate Crimes Task Force investigating bomb threats against Mamdani: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force launched a probe into multiple death threats made against Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani after his district office at 24-08 32nd St. in Astoria received four expletive-filled phone voicemails, on various dates, making threatening anti-Muslim statements by an unknown individual, including a threat to blow up his car.

The calls were made from an untraceable number and labeled the mayoral candidate a “terrorist who is not welcome in New York or America” in a message phoned in on Wednesday morning.

Seven teens indicted for attempted murder in brutal Kissena Park gang attack on two girls: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted seven teenagers for attempted murder, gang assault, robbery, and other crimes for an attack on two girls inside Kissena Park in Flushing in early May.

The defendants, who are all 17 years old, were variously arraigned in Queens Supreme Court between June 4 and Wednesday in two separate 25-count indictments with two counts of attempted murder in the second degree. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison.

Queens Defenders founder charged with stealing nonprofit funds as second scandal unfolds

The founder of the Queens Defenders and her husband have lawyered up after they were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the non-profit organization.

Former Queens Defenders executive director Lori Zeno, 64, surrendered Wednesday at the Brooklyn federal courthouse. Zeno was arraigned on an indictment charging her and Rashad Ruhani, 55, with wire fraud conspiracy, theft, money laundering conspiracy and other crimes.