Province declares state of emergency with further COVID-19 measures
For questions directly from the Province, you can call the Stop the Spread Information line at:
1-888-444-3659
For questions directly from the Province, you can call the Stop the Spread Information line at:
1-888-444-3659
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Risk mitigation tool for workplaces/businesses operating during the COVID-19 pandemic
Porcupine Health Unit Guidelines COVID-19: Businesses & Workplace - Guidelines for Businesses by Sector For COVID-19-related business questions, contact workplaces@porcupinehu.on.ca New Federal tool for finding financial help during COVID-19 |
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Important Checklist for Reopening Your Business
With the recent framework for reopening our Province announcement by the Provincial Government, businesses will now need to shift focus to recovery readiness and determining strategies to return to work and reopen their businesses.
The Government has released general workplace guidance, sector specific guidance and planning for operations resources on the Ontario.ca COVID-19 Business Support webpage.
We also recommend that part of your plan includes consideration for what you will do if we have a second wave and are required to move back to increased restrictions or closures. You can find Business Continuity Plans and Templates in our COVID-19 Business Toolkit section under support on our COVID-19 Information page.
The Government has released general workplace guidance, sector specific guidance and planning for operations resources on the Ontario.ca COVID-19 Business Support webpage.
We also recommend that part of your plan includes consideration for what you will do if we have a second wave and are required to move back to increased restrictions or closures. You can find Business Continuity Plans and Templates in our COVID-19 Business Toolkit section under support on our COVID-19 Information page.
Step 1: Develop Your Operational Plan
1 . Develop your Plan
In order to open your business, you must develop a COVID-19 plan outlining how daily operations will be managed to meet the additional measures outlined by the Government. The workplace guidance for business owners outlines the criteria that should be addressed in written workplace policies and procedures established to address the COVID-19 pandemic response. All workplaces are expected to develop and implement these policies and procedures prior to re-opening or continuing operations after May 19, 2020. Industries or business with specialized operations or aspects may be subject to additional guidance. Any additional guidance made available is intended to augment this document. Based on the document, the workplace policies and procedures should outline:
a) Communication related to COVID-19
b) Policies for managing sick staff and/or volunteers
2. Conduct a hazard assessment
The Ontario announced a three-phase plan to re-open the economy. An overview of the program can be found on our website. To ensure the health and safety of workers while businesses re-open, or continue operations, businesses must follow the directives and guidelines on COVID-19 set out by the Ontario Government and health authorities. Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace can be found here. Four provincial Health and Safety Associations have published sector specific guidelines in consultation with the Ministry of Labour:
3. Plan for the Re-opening of your Building
Before occupants return to a building that has been vacated for a significant period of time, building owners, managers and operators may need to complete a variety of pre-return checks, tasks, and assessments to ensure a healthy and safe environment. The workplace readiness checklist maintained by the Porcupine Health Unit can found in our Business Toolkit Section or as linked here can assist in this process.
4. Plan your Workforce Strategy
There may be several things you need to consider when you start to plan your return to work including employment standards changes, along with employment standards rules and workplace requirements for hazard assessments, temporary layoffs, recalls and terminations. You will need to be clear on your appropriate legal response should an employee refuse to return to work or require flexibility around childcare issues, which may change from week to week.
You can use the Province’s Reopening Ontario after COVID-19 for reopening your workplace found in our Business Resource section, along with the employment standards section in the Business Resource Section. If your staff need mental health or other community supports, you can refer them to the Province’s mental health supports.
In order to open your business, you must develop a COVID-19 plan outlining how daily operations will be managed to meet the additional measures outlined by the Government. The workplace guidance for business owners outlines the criteria that should be addressed in written workplace policies and procedures established to address the COVID-19 pandemic response. All workplaces are expected to develop and implement these policies and procedures prior to re-opening or continuing operations after May 19, 2020. Industries or business with specialized operations or aspects may be subject to additional guidance. Any additional guidance made available is intended to augment this document. Based on the document, the workplace policies and procedures should outline:
a) Communication related to COVID-19
b) Policies for managing sick staff and/or volunteers
- Employee or volunteer NOT diagnosed with COVID-19
- Employee or volunteer diagnosed with COVID-19
- Screening
- Hygiene
- Cleaning and disinfecting
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Workplace bathrooms and showers
- Distancing & gatherings in the workplace
- Retail Items
- Other options such as remote work, home delivery, drive through, take-out and curbside pick-up options
2. Conduct a hazard assessment
The Ontario announced a three-phase plan to re-open the economy. An overview of the program can be found on our website. To ensure the health and safety of workers while businesses re-open, or continue operations, businesses must follow the directives and guidelines on COVID-19 set out by the Ontario Government and health authorities. Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace can be found here. Four provincial Health and Safety Associations have published sector specific guidelines in consultation with the Ministry of Labour:
- Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) has published guidelines for the construction, electrical and utilities, aggregates, natural gas, ready-mix concrete and transportation sectors;
- Public Service Health and Safety Association (PSHSA) has published guidelines for hospitals, nursing and retirement homes, residential and community care facilities, universities and colleges, school boards, libraries and museums, municipalities, the provincial government and its agencies, fire / paramedic services and First Nations;
- Workplace Safety North (WSN) has published guidelines for the forestry, mining, smelting, refining, paper, printing and converting sectors; and
- Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), has published guidelines for the agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors. Prior to re-opening, and while COVID-19 remains a health risk in Canada, businesses should consult these guidelines to ensure compliance.
3. Plan for the Re-opening of your Building
Before occupants return to a building that has been vacated for a significant period of time, building owners, managers and operators may need to complete a variety of pre-return checks, tasks, and assessments to ensure a healthy and safe environment. The workplace readiness checklist maintained by the Porcupine Health Unit can found in our Business Toolkit Section or as linked here can assist in this process.
4. Plan your Workforce Strategy
There may be several things you need to consider when you start to plan your return to work including employment standards changes, along with employment standards rules and workplace requirements for hazard assessments, temporary layoffs, recalls and terminations. You will need to be clear on your appropriate legal response should an employee refuse to return to work or require flexibility around childcare issues, which may change from week to week.
You can use the Province’s Reopening Ontario after COVID-19 for reopening your workplace found in our Business Resource section, along with the employment standards section in the Business Resource Section. If your staff need mental health or other community supports, you can refer them to the Province’s mental health supports.
Step 2: Create a Communication Plan
1. Develop your internal communication plan
2. Develop your external communication plan
A communication plan for external contacts, customers, patrons of your business will assist in their understanding of your operations and the steps being taken by the workplace to prevent the risk of transmission of infection, and the importance of their roles in these measures. BDC has a resource on Sales and marketing planning during COVID-19 here.
3. Create awareness of how to prevent the spread
Create awareness by posting information and signage in areas where employees, volunteers and customers can refer to them – this includes doors, hallways, bathrooms, common areas and anywhere there may be a touch point that requires a reminder. Help prevent the spread information posters can be found here and through the Porcupine Health Unit’s website here.
4. Create your communication channel plan
Determine what channels you will use to communicate information to the public, including hours of operations, new processes and products.
- Have a plan to communicate with staff and/or volunteers. You can refer to the Canadian Chamber’s Crisis Communications Planning Guide for business owners for additional information. BDC also has a resource for employee communications during a crisis here.
- Provide your staff with the appropriate language/phrases to address patrons who are not following the required protocols for your locations, while managing a professional demeanor.
- Encourage your staff to report any additional concerns or ideas they may have once you reopen and be prepared to adjust.
- Communicate expectations with your staff about how they can address concerns they have and provide them with an opportunity to voice concerns.
2. Develop your external communication plan
A communication plan for external contacts, customers, patrons of your business will assist in their understanding of your operations and the steps being taken by the workplace to prevent the risk of transmission of infection, and the importance of their roles in these measures. BDC has a resource on Sales and marketing planning during COVID-19 here.
3. Create awareness of how to prevent the spread
Create awareness by posting information and signage in areas where employees, volunteers and customers can refer to them – this includes doors, hallways, bathrooms, common areas and anywhere there may be a touch point that requires a reminder. Help prevent the spread information posters can be found here and through the Porcupine Health Unit’s website here.
4. Create your communication channel plan
Determine what channels you will use to communicate information to the public, including hours of operations, new processes and products.
- Traditional Advertising may include billboards, posters and advertising. If using these channels, make sure to reference the advertising options through the Chamber.
- You can update your information on the Chamber’s business directory to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information on your business.
- Various local media outlets are offering promotional material to ensure that the community is current with your business’ status as well as encouraging community partners to us the Chamber’s #finditINtimmins campaign.
- Consider your Digital Marketing strategy and determine how you will use your website, social media communications and campaigns. Contact a digital marketing or social media specialist for guidance if you need help.
Step 3: Establish Physical Distancing Guidelines
Remember that this is not ‘business-as-usual’. In order to accommodate physical distancing requirements, patrons and staff must not be permitted to congregate in groups. This may (and likely will) result in alterations to how the workplace is set up, how the activity would normally occur or how patrons and staff would normally interact and go about business.
1. Determine work from home strategies
Determine if you and your employees are still able to work from home or if you still wish to continue with offering delivery or curbside pick up service. You can use the resource in our checklist and guidelines in our COVID-19 information page that provides guidance for working from home during a pandemic and the workplace Guidance for business owners also references the options for delivery and curbside pick up.
2. Determine how you will implement physical distancing requirements in the workplace
Patrons may partake in their activity while maintaining a minimum of two metres or six feet between themselves and others at all, so you will need to determine how to implement the distancing requirements, whether by signage, floor stickers, monitoring occupancy and number of clients coming into your building, along with placing signage outside and within your building.
3. Determine how you will monitor adherence to physical distancing requirements
Where possible, a designated staff member could monitor adherence to physical distancing requirements on premise. If this is not possible, determine other ways you can manage physical distancing, for example putting stickers on the floor showing people where they are able to stand or how you will direct traffic flow within your building.
4. Determine strategies for situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained
Situations where interfacing between staff and customers is common might deserve special considerations for mutual protection. Consider different hazard controls to manage these situations:
When a hazard cannot be controlled by a single control method, the business owner should utilize a combination of these controls to provide an acceptable level of safety.
* There is guidance on how to prevent the spread on the Province of Ontario’s website and in our prevention section of our COVID-19 Business Toolkit.
1. Determine work from home strategies
Determine if you and your employees are still able to work from home or if you still wish to continue with offering delivery or curbside pick up service. You can use the resource in our checklist and guidelines in our COVID-19 information page that provides guidance for working from home during a pandemic and the workplace Guidance for business owners also references the options for delivery and curbside pick up.
2. Determine how you will implement physical distancing requirements in the workplace
Patrons may partake in their activity while maintaining a minimum of two metres or six feet between themselves and others at all, so you will need to determine how to implement the distancing requirements, whether by signage, floor stickers, monitoring occupancy and number of clients coming into your building, along with placing signage outside and within your building.
- If you need support in retrofitting your business with the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment and physical distancing measures, visit the Timmins Business Emergency Fund programs here.
- For a list of local PPE resources, click here.
3. Determine how you will monitor adherence to physical distancing requirements
Where possible, a designated staff member could monitor adherence to physical distancing requirements on premise. If this is not possible, determine other ways you can manage physical distancing, for example putting stickers on the floor showing people where they are able to stand or how you will direct traffic flow within your building.
- For guidelines on physical distancing measures, visit the Porcupine Health Unit’s webpage.
4. Determine strategies for situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained
Situations where interfacing between staff and customers is common might deserve special considerations for mutual protection. Consider different hazard controls to manage these situations:
- First choice | Engineering controls: These control the hazard at the source. Examples include placing barriers or partitions between staff, removing seats from lunchrooms and dining areas, re-arranging lockers, restricting general access to the business and increasing ventilation.
- Second choice | Administrative controls: These controls change the way workers, volunteer and patrons interact. Examples include policies for physical distancing, limiting hours of operations and respiratory etiquette and providing adequate facilities, supplies and reminders for hand hygiene. Increased frequency of cleaning as outlined above is also required.
- You can see templates for notices to patrons by clicking here.
- Third choice | PPE: PPE is necessary when physical distancing of 2 metres or physical barriers cannot be maintained by administrative and engineering controls. PPE controls the hazard at the worker, volunteer and client level. Examples of PPE include gloves, eye protection, gown, face protections, procedure/surgical masks or NIOSH-N95 masks1.
- For a list of local resources, click here.
- To apply for the Newmont Porcupine Personal Protective Equipment Support Grant, click here.
When a hazard cannot be controlled by a single control method, the business owner should utilize a combination of these controls to provide an acceptable level of safety.
* There is guidance on how to prevent the spread on the Province of Ontario’s website and in our prevention section of our COVID-19 Business Toolkit.
Step 4: Set Your Processes and Procedures for Cleaning, Hygiene and PPE
1. Determine your Pre-Screening tools and processes
Businesses and organizations should advise that staff and patrons who are either symptomatic and/or have been advised by Public Health to self-isolate, should remain home and not enter the premises. Operators should actively pre-screen staff before the beginning of each shift. The government’s pre-screening questionnaire example can be found here.
Taking Employees’ Temperatures as a Screening Mechanism
Some employers across Canada have started to implement temperature screening prior to allowing an employee access to the office or a workplace.
Given the nature of COVID-19 and infection rates across Canada, it is arguable that, in certain workplaces, temperature checks may be a reasonable screening mechanism in the circumstances. However, employers should be mindful of the following:
2. Determine your Cleaning and Disinfection Procedures
Cleaning refers to the removal of visible soil. Cleaning does not kill germs but is highly effective at removing them from a surface. Disinfecting refers to using a chemical to kill germs on a surface. Disinfecting is only effective after surfaces have been cleaned, so you will want to outline your process for each and refer to the Porcupine Health Unit’s Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfecting for Public Settings for information.
3. Facilitate and Communicate Personal Hygiene Etiquette
There is further guidance on these measures in the Porcupine Health Unit’s Additional Resources for Personal Hygiene Etiquette.
4. Obtain Required PPE
Risk of infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 can be mitigated using multiple strategies in combination. The first strategy is to avoid situations and people that pose a risk, by having people stay home when ill and maintaining a two-metre distance from others. When it is not possible to avoid contact with others, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette are very important to reduce spread. Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks and gloves, can be used in certain situations to protect people from infectious diseases. You can find the Stopping the spread of COVID-19Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace here, as well as within our Business Resource section on our COVID 19 information page.
You can source PPE from local suppliers.
In the event that are struggling with procuring PPE, you can apply for the Newmont Porcupine Personal Protective Equipment Support Grant, by clicking here.
Businesses and organizations should advise that staff and patrons who are either symptomatic and/or have been advised by Public Health to self-isolate, should remain home and not enter the premises. Operators should actively pre-screen staff before the beginning of each shift. The government’s pre-screening questionnaire example can be found here.
Taking Employees’ Temperatures as a Screening Mechanism
Some employers across Canada have started to implement temperature screening prior to allowing an employee access to the office or a workplace.
Given the nature of COVID-19 and infection rates across Canada, it is arguable that, in certain workplaces, temperature checks may be a reasonable screening mechanism in the circumstances. However, employers should be mindful of the following:
- Any checks should be conducted using the least intrusive methods available (e.g. non-contact infrared thermometers vs. contact thermometers).
- Qualified individuals would need to be available to administer the test and ensure that the test is conducted in a safe manner, such that there is no enhanced risk of employees being infected by each other or the test administrator.
- Advance written notice to workers of the temperature check requirement would need to be provided, including the means by which the check will be conducted and that the purpose (i.e. to promote a safe workplace and help reduce the spread of COVID-19).
- Medical advice may need to be obtained with respect to what body temperatures are of concern.
- Records of individuals who test within ordinary temperature ranges (as determined by a medical expert) should not be retained by the employer.
- Individuals who test at or above a level that concerns a medical expert should not be allowed access to the workplace, but rather be discretely asked to leave the facility and to seek medical advice.
2. Determine your Cleaning and Disinfection Procedures
Cleaning refers to the removal of visible soil. Cleaning does not kill germs but is highly effective at removing them from a surface. Disinfecting refers to using a chemical to kill germs on a surface. Disinfecting is only effective after surfaces have been cleaned, so you will want to outline your process for each and refer to the Porcupine Health Unit’s Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfecting for Public Settings for information.
3. Facilitate and Communicate Personal Hygiene Etiquette
There is further guidance on these measures in the Porcupine Health Unit’s Additional Resources for Personal Hygiene Etiquette.
4. Obtain Required PPE
Risk of infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 can be mitigated using multiple strategies in combination. The first strategy is to avoid situations and people that pose a risk, by having people stay home when ill and maintaining a two-metre distance from others. When it is not possible to avoid contact with others, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette are very important to reduce spread. Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks and gloves, can be used in certain situations to protect people from infectious diseases. You can find the Stopping the spread of COVID-19Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace here, as well as within our Business Resource section on our COVID 19 information page.
You can source PPE from local suppliers.
In the event that are struggling with procuring PPE, you can apply for the Newmont Porcupine Personal Protective Equipment Support Grant, by clicking here.
Step 5: Look for Sector Specific Guidance
We know that some sectors have different requirements due to the nature of each specific industry. You can find a list of resources through the Porcupine Health Unit’s Business Information webpage or through the Government of Ontario’s Business support page and through the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Make sure to discuss this with your association, professional body or within a group of similar industry businesses.
If there are not guidance documents provided by the Government or for your specific industry, work together to come up with common guidelines that would meet the minimum requirements outlined by the Government of Ontario. If there is work done already within very specific industries, it is imperative that you call the Stop the Spread Business Information Line at:
1-888-444-3659.
For more information, please contact:
Cameron Grant
Policy and Engagement Lead
The Chamber.
policy@timminschamber.on.ca | 705.360.1900
About the Chamber
With 625 members, The Chamber is one of the largest accredited chambers of commerce with distinction in northeastern Ontario. As the “Voice of Business in Timmins” since 1949, our advocacy and policy initiatives focus on ensuring a positive business climate in the City of Timmins.
If there are not guidance documents provided by the Government or for your specific industry, work together to come up with common guidelines that would meet the minimum requirements outlined by the Government of Ontario. If there is work done already within very specific industries, it is imperative that you call the Stop the Spread Business Information Line at:
1-888-444-3659.
For more information, please contact:
Cameron Grant
Policy and Engagement Lead
The Chamber.
policy@timminschamber.on.ca | 705.360.1900
About the Chamber
With 625 members, The Chamber is one of the largest accredited chambers of commerce with distinction in northeastern Ontario. As the “Voice of Business in Timmins” since 1949, our advocacy and policy initiatives focus on ensuring a positive business climate in the City of Timmins.
