COVID-19 SAFETY PLAN
Our priority is our team and it is our commitment to continually assess, implement and move forward boldly. During these unpredictable times, we acknowledge that communication is imperative to our success and therefore we welcome any questions, concerns or comments. It is our belief that the challenge ahead presents an opportunity of growth for our team – It is a bright future together.
WORKPLACE RISK ASSESSMENT
We have identified where COVID-19 exposure arises in our workplace and assessed the risks.
Employers must assess their workplaces in order to identify places where the risk of transmission is introduced. We will continue to assess the workplace after operations resume ensuring risks are identified and managed.
The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads in several ways, including through droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, or from touching a contaminated surface before touching the face. To understand the risk at our workplace, we have considered the following questions:
We have involved frontline workers, supervisors, owners, and our WCB representatives in the creation of this safety plan.
We have identified areas where people gather: break rooms, production lines, meeting rooms, reception area, offices.
We have identified tasks or processes that require workers to come into close proximity with one another or members of the public: team meetings, lunch breaks and reception area/front office where most customer service occurs.
We have identified tools, machinery, and equipment that workers share while working: include but are not limited to hand tools, grinders, welding machine and control panels.
We have identified surfaces that people touch often:
Doorknobs, light switches, telephone, microwave, refrigerator handles, coffee machine
RISK REDUCTION PROTOCOL
We have selected and put measures in place to minimize the risk of transmission.
Maintaining physical distance
We have insured that the appropriate numbers of people are in each area of a workplace to prevent workers from coming too close to one another or members of the public. This was done by posting occupancy limits (e.g., reception areas, washrooms, and other small spaces), and limiting the number of workers at one time in break locations.
Maintain a distance of 2 meters (6 feet) between workers and others wherever possible, by limiting the number of customers and visitors to the workplace, reducing in-person meetings and other gatherings, and limiting the number of workers at one time in break locations by staggering break times.
We considered creating pods of workers who work together exclusively to minimize the risk of broad transmission throughout the workplace via staggered employee break times.
We have Implemented signage to ensure workers can maintain a distance of 2 meters when serving or working with or near members of the public.
Where physical distance cannot be maintained
Where distance cannot be maintained, we are separating people with plexiglass barriers and including barrier cleaning in our cleaning protocols.
We have installed barriers so they don’t introduce other risks to workers such as it falling.
Where other measures are not sufficient, we are using masks, understanding their limitations. We have provided workers with documentation for the reasons to wear a mask
We have communicated to workers in the proper use of masks through signage.
Cleaning and hygiene
We have provided adequate hand-washing/hand-sanitizing facilities on site for all workers and ensured the location is visible and easily accessed. Workers must wash/disinfect their hands:
upon arriving for work
after handling cash or other materials (or wear disposable gloves)
before and after handling common tools and equipment (or wear disposable gloves)
We have clearly communicated these rules and guidelines to workers through signage
We implemented a cleaning protocol for all common areas and surfaces, including washrooms, equipment, tools, common tables, desks, light switches, and door handles. Ensure those engaged in cleaning have adequate training and materials.
Cleaning of common surfaces noted above will occur before and after shift, and door handles and shared tools will occur after each use.
We have removed any unnecessary tools or equipment that may elevate the risk of transmission, including shared utensils, cups and plates, microwave, refrigerator and coffee maker.
We have placed a disposable plastic bag over the POS cash machine that will be disinfected after every use.
We have designated an employee who has been trained in proper cleaning protocols to clean all common spaces at the workplace.
POLICY
We have developed the necessary policies and communicate these policies clearly to our employees.
We have provided appropriate staff with proper cleaning and disinfecting instructions.
Our Covid-19 safety plan includes the following for workers who may start to feel ill at work:
Sick workers should report to first aid, even with mild symptoms.
Sick workers will be asked to wash or sanitize their hands, provided with a mask, and isolated.
Sick workers will be asked to go straight home and to consult the BC Covid-19 Self-Assessment Tool or call 811 for further guidance related to testing and self-isolation.
If the worker is severely ill (e.g. difficulty breathing, chest pain), call 911.
Clean and disinfect any surfaces that the ill worker has come into contact with.
If an employee has tested positive for Covid-19:
Any employee who is sick with COVID-19 must stay home and away from others. In terms of co-workers, we will determine the level of interaction with the employee. Low risk exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case includes walking by the person or briefly being in the same room. If low risk, the co-workers should self-monitor for symptoms and practice good hand hygiene and social distancing in public, at home and at work.
Contact surfaces in both client and employee areas should be wiped down with a disinfecting cleaner. Remember that hand hygiene and not touching the face can stop the spread of infection. Public health officials will be in contact with the COVID-positive worker. Only co-workers who are “close contacts” are recommended to be in 14-day self-isolation.
For public health monitoring, a close contact is defined as a person who:
Provided care for the individual, including healthcare workers, family members or other caregivers, or who had other similar close physical contact without consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment, OR
Who lived with or otherwise had close prolonged* contact (within 2 meters) with a probable or confirmed case while the case was ill, OR
Had direct contact with the infectious body fluids of a probable or confirmed case (e.g. was coughed on or sneezed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment.
*As part of the individual risk assessment, public health will consider the duration of the contact’s exposure (e.g. a longer exposure time likely increases the risk), the case’s symptoms (coughing or severe illness likely increases exposure risk)
For more information: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/careers/about-the-bc-public-service/bc_public_service_covid19_response_faqs.pdf
POLICY COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING
To ensure that everyone entering the workplace, including workers from other employers, knows how to keep themselves safe while at our workplace:
In September, we will meet with staff to discuss the measures we have put in place and the policies around COVID-19 to ensure that our policies and procedures are being followed.
We have posted signage at the workplace, including occupancy limits and effective hygiene practices. Signage has also been posted at the main entrance indicating who is restricted from entering the premises (including visitors and workers with symptoms). Please see attached.
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING AND POLICY UPDATES
Things may change as our business operates. If we identify a new area of concern, or if it seems like something isn’t working, we will take steps to update our policies and procedures. We will do this by:
Involving our workers in this process by ensuring that workers can raise safety concerns. This can be done by informing our on location Safety Manager.
Ongoing weekly and monthly safety meetings that provide a forum for workers to share any safety concerns.
This COVID-19 safety plan is implemented to keep workers and our community safe.