In this episode, Mark Ames talks with Travis Parsons about Virginia becoming the first state to mandate COVID-19 precautions in all workplaces.

Travis Parsons is the Associate Director of Occupational Safety and Health for the Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America. At the Fund, he provides an array of safety and industrial hygiene services to affiliates of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

Travis is a current member of the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board, which is the body that establishes Virginia Occupational Safety and Health regulations and standards in the Commonwealth. He is a recognized OSHA Master Instructor for the North America’s Building Trades Unions, is a co-chair of the NORA Construction Sector Council’s COVID-19 subgroup, and serves as the Vice President of the Labor Division within the National Safety Council.

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Here are 5 additional points that Travis Parsons wants you to know:

• Virginia's standard sets expectations on worksites across the state of Virginia for both employers and employees.
• It is a strong worker protection standard that lays out proven infection control provisions and best practices.
• Specific requirements for employers in the standard vary based on a risk profile, ranging from very high for occupations like health care workers treating COVID-19 patients to low for workers not dealing with the general public and able to maintain social distancing.
• A clear-cut rule lets everyone know how to protect themselves, how to protect their co-workers, and how to fulfill the employers’ responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace.
• Vaccines have been proven safe and effective. When it is your turn to get the vaccine, you should go do it.