In consultation with Ron Kelusky, Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO), the following information has been made available for members to consider during this third wave of COVID. We remind members that our industry’s ability to remain designated as an essential workplace requires our strict adherence to provincial guidelines. The government begun a targeted province-wide inspection of construction sites last week and will continue this week. Workplace inspectors, supported by provincial offenses officers, will visit 1,300 construction sites in the coming weeks to enforce safety requirements. 
 
The CPO urged all members as a best practice to:

• Communicate to employees on site and reinforce the need to adhere to strict masking and eye protection protocols where a two-metre separation cannot be maintained. Please review the guide on using masks in the workplace, which is the current guidance. 
   
• Pay specific attention to break and lunch rooms to ensure that a two-metre separation is enforced when people are eating and not masked, and that during breaks, either two-metre separation or masking are strictly enforced.
   
• Where carpooling is occurring, a physical barrier, such as plexiglass, should be used to separate vehicle passengers, or if that is not possible, the passengers and the driver are advised to wear eye protection, such as a face shield, and follow masking protocols.  
   
• Encourage staff to wear masks at all times, even if working outside and maintaining a two-metre distance. A common complaint, often noted in the media, has been construction workers not wearing masks. This is fueling speculation that construction sites are a major source of infection and leading to pressure on officials to take action.
   
• Pay close attention to on-site sanitation procedures, ensuring that tools and common areas are routinely and properly sanitized. Ensure that sanitizer is available.

Beyond the CPO’s advice, the amended construction work hours provide the opportunity for construction sites to adjust schedules to limit worker contact during the work day.  

• Where possible, please schedule one trade in the home at a time and one trade outside the home at a time. The amended construction work hours (6:00 AM – 10:00 PM) provide the opportunity for construction sites to adjust schedules to limit worker contact during the work day.  

Rapid Testing Update
The CPO indicated that rapid testing has been deployed on some large construction sites, to good effect. Members who are interested should consider implementing rapid testing as a voluntary proactive measure. Test kits are free to companies that meet certain thresholds, but the cost of administering the test must be covered by the company. The company must also sign a contract to agree to use the tests for the intended purpose and to report aggregate data. Read more information. Members who are interested should contact Viki Krstev at the MLTSD.

Vaccination Update
The government continues to fine-tune its vaccine plans. As previously indicated, construction workers are to be included in phase 2, subject to availability and exclusive of vaccinations currently happening in hot zones and community-based pop-up clinics.

There is a possibility of employer-sponsored vaccination clinics in hot zones in the future. Interested companies should email the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force to submit requests for vaccinations on-site, shared with the community in hotspot locations. The request should include location and address, facility description, number of employees, if location was subject to an outbreak, willingness to open for community to receive the vaccination and the provision of resources to administer and coordinate the process.

OHBA reminds member companies to revisit and to have COVID-19 safety plans and take all necessary steps to protect workers, clients and members of the public. As a reminder, the Ontario government website has guidance for construction site health and safety. In addition, ensure that any office spaces are also compliant with public health and workplace safety measures. 

We need to work safer in this third wave of COVID, and more information will follow as additional provincial guidance is provided.