NYS Hero Act: You Need to Comply– Here’s How

The New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act) mandates new workplace health and safety protections in response to the pandemic.

All employers are to implement these workplace safety plans, after COVID-19 was designated as an airborne infectious disease under this act. In conjunction with the NYS Department of Labor (NYS DOL) and the NYS Department of Health have created a prevention standard, prevention plan, and industry-specific plans for the prevention of airborne disease. Employers may adopt the applicable template, or choose an alternative plan that meets or goes above the minimum requirements.

These plans must go into effect after an airborne infectious disease presents a serious risk of harm to the public, as designated by the New York State Commissioner of Health. Employers are required to post these plans in a visible and prominent location within a worksite, and provide copies of the exposure prevention plan associated with each industry model.

Different resources, templates and FAQ’s are available on the NYS Department of Labor’s website.

Questions regarding the HERO Act can be emailed to Airborne.Infectious.Diseases@labor.ny.gov.