Source: BC Trucking Association
https://www.bctrucking.com/content/covid-19-news-resources-industry

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised some anxiety about truck drivers, especially cross-border drivers. We designed the following resources as a guide to help revise processes to create safe work procedures for pick-up and drop-off. The goal is to ensure pick-ups and drop-offs are site-specific. Our intention is to ensure good communication among drivers and each site they visit.

This document is an overview of how employers can safely have drivers on their work sites, regardless of whether they have crossed the US border.

All of the resources attached are designed to begin communication before the driver arrives on-site. Planning and communicating the details about what each party needs to do before the driver arrives will shorten the time the driver is on-site. This will lessen the chance of either person being exposed to the virus.

To assist you in preparing for increased operations under the “new normal,” I am pleased to advise you that SafetyDriven, our Health and Safety Association, has developed a collection of resources to improve communication around COVID-19 safe practices for how employers can safely have commercial drivers on their worksite. These resources have been reviewed and endorsed by the Provincial government and can be found here: https://safetydriven.ca/covid-19/

Minister Trevena has provided her endorsement, and we encourage you to use these resources to guide your business operations:

The commercial trucking industry plays a vital role in ensuring British Columbians can continue to access food, medicine, healthcare supplies and other essential goods and services.
I know industry members are facing some unique challenges as a result of COVID-19, and I want to express my gratitude for your dedication and resilience during this difficult time.

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry have identified commercial transport as an essential service. The industry
is encouraged to continue to operate while following the orders and guidance of the Provincial Health Office, ensuring that workers remain safe as possible while taking all necessary
precautions to minimize the risks of transmitting the virus.

The Safe Drivers Communication Tools Package is a valuable resource for commercial trucking companies that will help protect workers and minimize the spread of COVID-19. Its
common-sense focus on transparency and accountability will assure workers, employers and communities that the transportation sector is doing everything in its power to keep people
safe while continuing to meet customer needs. I hope you and your organization will take advantage of the information in this package as part of your commitment to excellence.

I know COVID-19 has touched all our lives and changed the way we do business, and I want to thank you again for your ability to adapt to this unusual time.
I hope you all continue to stay safe and well.

Sincerely,

Claire Trevena
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

Source: Trucknews.com

OTTAWA, Ont. – Commercial vehicle enforcement officers are following a series of protocols specific to Covid-19, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) confirms in a memo released today.

Drivers are being told to remain in their vehicles during an inspection unless otherwise directed, while officers are being encouraged to maintain a social distancing gap of two meters away from drivers.

Social distancing is further supported by asking officers to avoid stepping onto vehicle running boards or entering the cab. That’s made possible by asking drivers to verbally report information and demonstrate the proper function of equipment like air pressures, dash warning lamps, seatbelts, and steering lash, while officers stand at a distance.

Officers are also being encouraged to “use discretion” when exchanging documents for an inspection, and to limit such exchanges. If possible, information like a driver’s licence number is to be conveyed verbally.

“Where physical document transfer does happen, ensure proper hygiene precautions are being followed immediately after,” the document adds, referring to steps such as exchanging gloves, washing hands, and sanitizing work surfaces.

Drivers are not being asked to sign documents such as tickets or inspection reports, either.

Access to scale buildings, meanwhile, is being limited to staff members.

“This information does not negate the enforcement officer’s ability to take appropriate enforcement action as required,” the memo stresses.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) had asked CCMTA to compile a list of the actions. The full document can be found at https://cantruck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Jurisdictional-Enforcement-Interactions_public.pdf.

Updated: April 10, 2020
Workers exempt from the federal Quarantine Act do not have to create a self-isolation plan, this includes Truck drivers.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/self-isolation-on-return

Original post
BC Government announced new measures to boost COVID-19 response. “Effective immediately, international travellers (including from the United States) coming to the province are required to provide a self-isolation plan before or upon arrival to B.C., regardless of their point on entry to Canada.” This includes essential service workers who must travel across the border for work, such as transportation workers. However, they are only expected to implement their plan if they develop symptoms. Press Release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020PREM0019-000657.

The required Self-Isolation Form: https://forms2.gov.bc.ca/forms/content?id=CCC62AAE7A084A608D8D1BA07165C307

SafetyDriven will keep working with stakeholders and clients during the COVID-19 crisis. WorkSafeBC has set up a plan for 2020 audits for clients who have achieved their Certificate of Recognition (COR) or are working toward it.

• Certificate of Recognition (COR) for Audits in Progress
  For audits in progress now, follow COVID-19 best practices. That means you will stay 2 metres away from people (physical distancing). You will also make sure you always follow the guidelines for hygiene and washing your hands. There will be changes to operations because of COVID-19. Consider those changes to help you stay flexible while you conduct observations and interviews. You should still have access to documents and records because these changes should not affect document review.
• COR Certifications that Expire on or Before August 31, 2020
  WorkSafeBC may grant audit waivers for certifications that will expire on or before August 31, 2020. Employers must contact SafetyDriven’s COR department to apply for this waiver.
• COR Certifications that Expire Between September 01 and December 31, 2020
  WorkSafeBC has not announced any changes for certifications that will expire after September 01, 2020. We recommend that employers contact SafetyDriven or check with WorkSafeBC to find out about the latest updates. We will make adjustments as necessary.
• Maintenance Audits (M1 and M2)
  Maintenance audits can be conducted at any time of year as long as they are completed before December 31. Consider scheduling your maintenance audit for the fall if it cannot be completed now because of safety or operational concerns.
• Brand New Certification of BC Audits
  All new certifications must follow the standard processes and auditing requirements. For Employers seeking COR but are not able to follow the standard processes or to follow them safely, WorkSafeBC asks that employers put off new certification until they can safely meet the requirements.

SafetyDriven will continue to follow the advice of public health officials. We will provide updates based on their advice as well as information from WorkSafeBC’s COR Team.

SafetyDriven’s COR Department is available to answer your questions. Email us at COR@SafetyDriven.ca or call 1.877.414.8001 | 604.888.2242 and one of the COR team members will return your call.

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed many aspects of our daily lives and operations, but we wanted to let you know just because we can’t support you in person, we are here to support the Trucking, Transportation and Moving & Storage industries in other ways. Our Safety Advisors are always available by email or phone on their respective cell phones as well as video conferencing! We have adjusted our new normal to best support our industries and wanted to remind you we have many resources available online:

• Designated COVID-19 resource page for Trucking and Moving & Storage
• Our Resources page on our website for safety information, posters, videos and more!
• Online training courses available any time anywhere at your own pace.
• You can also call 1.877.414.8001 | 604.888.2242 or email info@safetydriven.ca us at anytime and we will connect you with one of our Safety Advisors.

As Canada fights Covid-19, Canada’s professional drivers are holding things together. They keep on trucking – and we want to hear about the road heroes who make that happen.

Are you involved in trucking, transportation or moving & storage or know someone that is? We want to hear from you! Or do you want to offer special thanks to someone, we would love to share it and recognize our road heroes.

Please email your stories or comment to info@safetydriven.ca or submit it through our contact us page.

Let’s recognize those who continue to work hard and put their safety at risk everyday so we can continue to eat and be home, safe with our families.

 

Source: Trucknews.com

OTTAWA, Ont. – Transport Canada has unveiled a series of recommendations to help commercial vehicle operators prevent the spread of Covid-19 – including a focus on proper handwashing techniques, social distancing, and detailed steps to clean vehicles before and after a trip.

The recommendations emerge in an April 1 document called Federal Safety Guidance to Protect Drivers and Limit the Spread of Covid-19 in Commercial Vehicle Operations.

Fleet managers are encouraged to minimize the number of vehicles shared by employees; ensure drivers have appropriate disinfectants, hand sanitizer, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other material to clean high-touch surfaces in trucks; and implement other guidelines found in the document.

“Commercial vehicle drivers should take precautions such as covering their hands when pumping [fuel], touching the service station door handles, or handling any automotive products that may be required when performing vehicle maintenance, such as filling windshield washer fluid and adding motor oil, if this is possible,” the document adds. If that isn’t possible, they are told to wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer immediately after the task is done.

Regular vehicle cleaning
For the regular cleaning of equipment, drivers should be supplied with personal protective equipment, disposable cloths, paper towels and absorbent material, waste disposal bags and tape, cleaning agents, and disinfectants, the briefing notes.

High-touch surfaces to be regularly cleaned include: keys or fobs; starter buttons; door handles; grab handles, pads and armrests; steering wheels; shift levers and consoles; dashboards; power windows and power door lock switches; radio and climate control buttons; turn signals and wiper stalks; seats and seat adjusters; and touch screens. Also included in the list is any other commonly touched part such as a glove compartment, hood, pickup tailgate handle, and sleeper.

When cleaning vehicle interiors:

• Put on disposable waterproof gloves, and avoid touching your face. Direct contact with contaminated areas should be avoided.
• Use a hard-surface disinfectant approved for use against Covid-19, following recommended dilution rates, contact times, and conditions specific to the surface.
• Avoid bleach, except on simple plastics, and don’t use solvents.
• Wipe off what you wipe on. Don’t leave chemicals to linger.
• Soiled cleaning clothes, disinfection clothes, and disposable gloves should be discarded in a waste disposal bag. Then it’s a matter of washing hands using recommended techniques.

Federally regulated carriers are also encouraged to ensure Hazard Prevention Programs address Covid-19. This would mean developing measures with Workplace Health and Safety Committees or representatives.

Watching health and personal hygiene
Drivers, meanwhile, are told to monitor themselves for signs of the virus and self-isolate if symptoms like a mild cough or low-grade fever emerge.

Since the coronavirus seems to survive on hard surfaces for one day or longer, washing hands is stressed as being particularly important. Hand washing with plain soap and warm water for 20 seconds, and then drying with paper towels, is preferred. But an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with an alcohol concentration of 60-90% is seen as a temporary option. Concentrations above 70% are preferred.

But the sanitizers may not be effective if there is organic material on the hands, such as after using the toilet, the briefing adds. Wipes should first be used to remove any soil, followed by the sanitizer.

It’s important to avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands at any time.

Any cough or sneeze should also be directed into a tissue or bend in the arm, while the tissues should be discarded in a lined waste basket as soon as possible, washing and sanitizing hands for 20 seconds after that, the briefing says.

Face-to-face meetings should also be minimized to support social distancing.

If that isn’t possible, it’s a matter of keeping at least six feet as possible from other people, and avoiding physical contact such as handshakes.

“This includes contact with customers, receiving personnel and those at rest stops,” Transport Canada says.

Covid-19 resources
The following are suggested as additional resources in the fight against Covid-19:

World Health Organization: Getting your workplace ready for Covid:19

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-for-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=359a81e7_6

Government of Canada: Resources for Canadian businesses

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/business/maintaingrowimprovebusiness/resources-for-canadian-businesses.html

Government of Canada: Risk-informed decision-making guidelines

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/guidance-documents/risk-informed-decision-making-workplaces-businesses-covid-19-pandemic.html

Preventing Covid-19 in the workplace

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/preventing-covid-19-workplace-employers-employees-essential-service-workers.html

Canada Post: Practicing social distancing

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Practising social distancing can keep you and other employees safe – March 18 2020

Trucking HR Canada: Covid-19 resource guide for trucking and logistics

https://truckinghr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Covid19_Resourceguidev3d.pdf

Canadian Urban Transit Association: Guidance for the Public Transit Industry

https://cutaactu.ca/en/content/covid-19-resources

International Association of Public Transport: Management of Covid-19 guidelines for public transport operators

https://cutaactu.ca/sites/default/files/covid-19_guidelines_for_transit_operators.pdf

Mental Health Commission of Canada: Choosing information sources for mental wellbeing

https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/news-article/13920/choosing-sources-information-carefully-critical-covid-19-mental-well-being-says

Personal protective equipment and products, such as N95-grade safety masks, gloves, gowns, and hand sanitizer, are urgently needed by health care workers, including those in BC’s continuing care sector.

Health care workers, including those working in long-term care homes, assisted living residences and home care, are the heroes in our communities. Demand for this equipment and supplies has skyrocketed at the same time supply chains have been cut, putting the health and safety of our health care workers and those they care for at risk.

Do you have any of these supplies? If you do, then your contribution can make a life-saving difference. We are reaching out to those who can contribute any of the following products:

• Exam gloves (FDA-approved)
• N95 masks (FDA-, NIOSH-, or CSA-approved)
• Surgical masks (FDA-approved)
• Hand sanitizer (60% alcohol or higher)
• Medical-grade disinfection wipes
• Protective gowns
• Eye protection

All contributions must be unused and unopened. We are not accepting any other items.

We are asking people to go to www.safecarebc.ca/operationprotect to learn what supplies are needed and how they can donate. The BC Care Providers Association is also rerouting their Route 65 toll-free number—1-877-955-6565—to help with this effort.

We must all work together and support each other during the COVID-19 crisis. Your contributions to this vital program will save lives.

SafeCare BC appreciates contributions from BC Care Providers Association, Big Steel Box, City of Vancouver, and the City of Surrey in the support of Operation Protect.

Thank you!

The Canadian Trucking Alliance has been working with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety to supply a host of compliance resources for members, as well as materials related to emergency preparedness and Covid-19/ Coronavirus and Pandemic Awareness.

BC Trucking Association’s recent bulletin with resources

Essential Services Letter – March 13, 2020

Source: ICBC.com

Since 2014, more than one in four fatal crashes on B.C. roads have involved distracted driving, which is why ICBC and police continue to combat this dangerous driving behaviour that claims 76 lives each year.*

This month, drivers will be hearing one message – take a break from your phone when you’re behind the wheel. Not only is it dangerous, but the costs can add up quickly.

One distracted driving ticket is $368 plus four penalty points ($252) for a total of $620. And this number vastly increases to more than $2,500 if you get a second distracted driving ticket within 12 months. Yet tough penalities haven’t deterred some drivers, with an average of 1,335 drivers receiving multiple tickets every year.**

If you want to save your money for something more fun, remember to leave your phone alone while driving.

Police across B.C. are ramping up distracted driving enforcement during March, and community volunteers are setting up Cell Watch deployments to remind drivers to leave their phone alone. The campaign also features advertising and social media support.

Drivers can do their part by avoiding distractions while driving and encouraging others to do the same. Activate Apple’s Do Not Disturb While Driving feature or what’s similarly available on other devices. Free ‘not while driving’ decals are available at ICBC driver licensing offices and participating Autoplan broker offices for drivers to support the campaign and encourage other road users to leave their phones alone.

You can get tips and statistics in an infographic at icbc.com.

Quotes:
Chief Constable Neil Dubord, Chair of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee

“Distracted driving continues to be a serious issue in our province – it’s the number one cause of crashes. Police officers see distracted drivers on the roads in every community. We are stepping up efforts making sure people leave their phones alone while driving.”

Lindsay Matthews, ICBC’s Vice-President Public Affairs & Driver Licensing

“Using electronic devices, like smartphones, is one of the most common and riskiest forms of distracted driving. Safer roads start with every driver making a conscious decision to focus on the road and leave their phones alone. Let’s all do our part to create a safer driving culture in B.C.”

Regional statistics*:

• Every year, on average, 26 people are killed in distracted driving-related crashes in the Lower Mainland.
• Every year, on average, nine people are killed in distracted driving-related crashes on Vancouver Island.
• Every year, on average, 29 people are killed in distracted driving-related crashes in the Southern Interior.
• Every year, on average, 12 people are killed in distracted driving-related crashes in the North Central region.

*Police data from 2014 to 2018. Distraction: where one or more of the vehicles involved had contributing factors including use of communication/video equipment, driver inattentive and driver internal/external distraction.

**Annual average based on 2016 to 2018 ICBC data.

Editor’s note: Interviews and photo/video opportunities of enforcement in Vancouver this morning. Please contact ICBC for details.

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