As much as you can, you should stay at least 2 meters (6 ft) away from everyone. Avoid being in face-to-face contact with others, too.

Employers must tell workers about enhanced cleaning procedures. The employer must also provide workers with current information and training on COVID-19 risk factors and protective behaviours (e.g., cough etiquette and care of PPE).

First, ask yourself whether this task actually has to be done now. Can it be delayed? Can it be done safely in another way? Can it be done by fewer workers? If the task must be done by more than one worker and they have to be less than 2 meters apart, then PPE should be used to protect them. This includes nitrile gloves, coveralls, safety glasses, and respirators (N95, or half-face respirator with P95 or P100 filters). Respirators must be used as part of a respiratory protection program. The program must include proper fit-testing, training, and maintenance. Use best practices for hand washing and cleaning/disinfecting.

If workers cannot be physically distanced, then employers will need to limit or reduce the pace of work

• Practice appropriate hygiene everywhere including in the office, washroom, warehouse, moving truck and customer’s home or worksite.
• Wash your hands often with soap and hot water.
• Avoid touching your face. The virus can enter through your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Put tissues in a lined waste basket right away. Wash your hands.
• Be sensitive when meeting or greeting people. Customers will understand that a simple verbal greeting instead of a handshake is enough.
• Try to stay 2 metres away from others.
• Workers with health issues should not perform in-person estimates or be sent out on moving jobs. People with other health issues are more susceptible to viruses.
• Promote a tap-and-pay option or pre-approved credit cards to limit handling cash.

Bathroom facilities are essential for moving personnel, where hot water and soap must be available. Medical researchers have confirmed that washing our hands with soap and water is one of the best ways to fight the spread of Covid-19.

Clean and disinfect the facility on a regular basis. Do it at least at the beginning of a shift, before lunch or break time, and at the end of each shift. (Cleaning at the beginning and end of each shift makes sure everyone knows the facility is clean.)

Clean and disinfect surfaces inside the truck regularly and at the start and end of each shift. Include all the things you touch: seat belt latch and latch plate, steering wheel, door handles, shifter knob, touch screens, buttons, and switches.

According to the BC CDC and the World Health Organization, the virus is transmitted by:

• Contacting droplets in the air from people coughing or sneezing. These droplets can spread 1 to 2 metres. The virus can enter through your mouth, nose, or eyes.
• Close contact with other people (e.g., shaking hands or hugging).
• If a person covers a cough or sneeze with their hand and then touches a surface, they can leave the virus on the surface. If you touch the surface and then touch your face or food, you could catch it.
• Touching a contaminated surface and then touching another surface may transfer the virus from one surface to another.

Follow this link for a self-assessment tool and support app: https://bc.thrive.health/

No. Essential workers such as moving drivers are exempt from the 14-day self-isolation rule when they travel outside of the country and return to Canada. Moving drivers are required to self-isolate if symptoms develop.

Yes. A worker can refuse unsafe work if an employer is not following the Covid-19 guidelines outlined by WCB and the Provincial Health Department. Examples are: no access to washing stations; less than 2 meters (6 ft) work space between workers; more than 4 people in an elevator.

https://www.worksafebc.com/en/about-us/covid-19-updates/health-and-safety/what-workers-should-do

On March 23, the BC government announced protection for workers who have to self-isolate. For more information on these programs, please call 1-888-COVID-19 (1-888-268-4319) or visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support. 

Please visit the site linked below for the government’s bulletin on helping employers find resources and information related to mental health:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health-safety/covid19_stressmanagement_5_accessible.pdf

Employers should consider setting up sick-leave policies so employees feel more comfortable disclosing illness. For more information about how the government of BC is protecting workers, please visit https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020LBR0012-000551

We hope that the provincial government will be able to accommodate all testing requests in the future. In the meantime, as long as people who have symptoms self-isolate, they will reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others.

You still need to provide first aid to any workers working on site, in the office or in your building. However, if the company’s numbers have dropped, it is possible that a lower level of first aid would be required or just a basic first aid kit. See Schedule 3-A for your new requirement. There are 6 tables to choose from; pick the table that best represents your company, such as distance from a hospital and if the work is low, moderate, or high hazard.

https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation/ohs-regulation/part-03-rights-and-responsibilities