Frequently Asked Questions
If an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 should employees that have worked in close proximity to that worker be required to self isolate?
Close contacts of a COVID-19 positive worker will need to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and self-isolate IF they are not fully immunized.Are there recommendations on how to handle work station when someone gets sick, is there any specific way on how to handle the cleaning and sanitation?
For cleaning and sanitation procedures, refer to ‘EACO Emerging and Existing Pathogen Cleaning - Best Practices for Environmental Professional Services’ (Version 1 2020) plus ‘Updated Safer Disinfectants List’ (March 26, 2020).
If a person has had Covid-19, what does the research show about the possibility of contracting it again or are they considered immune?
At this time, it is considered highly unlikely they will get it again but not impossible. There is not enough data to date to answer this definitively.
Do the health authorities notify an employer if their employee tested positive to ensure they are aware that the rest of the staff may be infected?
No - the health authority will not always notify an employer when an employee has tested positive. Workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 should contact their close contacts.What if one of your workers lives with another person who works at a facility experiencing an outbreak?
If your worker is fully vaccinated or has had COVID-19 in the last 90 days, they are not required to self-isolate and can continue to participate in routine activities, such as work or school, as long as they do not have any symptoms. Those who are NOT fully vaccinated are required to self-isolate for 10 days from the day they last had contact with the person who has COVID-19, even if they do not have symptoms.One of our workers has contracted COVID-19. What do we do?
As an employer, your duty and focus is to take action to minimize the risk of exposure and spread of the virus.- Isolate the worker. If an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, they have a responsibility to stay home, and to notify their employer.If an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 or been told that they have COVID-19, they will need to self-isolate, manage their symptoms, and let their close contacts know. Information for employees who have tested positive for COVID-19.
- Contain the exposure.
Take immediate steps to identify the extent of potential exposure in your facility. Fully vaccinated employees who have been in close contact with the worker should self-monitor for symptoms. Unvaccinated workers should self-isolate
Close contacts includes:
- People they live with
- People they have had intimate contact with
- People outside of their households who they were face-to-face with for 15 minutes or more, while indoors, and not wearing a mask.
- Sterilize the workplace Ensure a proper infection control cleaning protocol is implemented to clean and sterilize the potentially contaminated work area(s). Follow these directions from the Centre for Disease Control.
- Communicate clearly and report if required If you produce food products, report the incident immediately to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.Inside your organization, remember that gossip and fear spread quickly. The best solution is to communicate clearly, quickly, and frequently, explaining the situation and the control measures you have put in place to keep employees safe.
- Enhance the measures you already have in place to prevent the spread of infection
- Cleaning: Consider increasing the frequency of routine cleaning. If you are cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily, increase to twice a day using the same products.
- Space: Consider the density of your business and provide additional space for customers and employees to interact. For example: Consider how line ups, seating, or workstation setup can be expanded so that people are able to put 2 metres of space between one another.
- Avoid visiting another area or department to ask a question; use the phone instead.
- As much as possible, establish separate, clean entrances and exits for your building and key work areas to avoid congestion.
- Consider how you could adjust your schedule to reduce the number of staff in an area at once, and to keep crews separate from each other—to reduce the risk of exposure if someone becomes ill.
- Hand hygiene: Ensure your washrooms and hand-washing stations are always stocked with soap and consider offering hand sanitizer at entrances. Ensure that staff have clear instructions for hand hygiene, including glove use if required.
- Communication: Show your customers and employees what you are doing to support the work to slow transmission of this virus by communicating online and at your place of business.
- Employees who feel unwell: Support your employees to stay home if they are sick.
- Review the WorkSafeBC information on COVID-19 related claims When a worker contracts COVID-19 as a direct result of their employment, they may be entitled to compensation. Review the information for employers at WorkSafeBC.
Should we require a worker who has tested positive to submit a clearance that they are okay to come back to work?
Yes. Two negative tests are required before an employee may be considered recovered. In addition, as with other viruses, COVID-19 may cause other complications that make it unsafe for the employee's own health to return to work even after the viral infection is cleared. Return to Work policies vary widely from company to company, but a doctor's note helps ensure the health and safety of the returning employee as well as other workers on site. The investigating health authority may impose additional protocols for return to work as well.
If an employee has tested positive, what actions should the company take with respect to assessing the risk to other employees and their products?
Employers are expected to follow s. 5.2 and 5.59 (general industry) or s. 6.33 to 6.40 (healthcare and similar sectors) in relation to COVID-19 exposure in their workplace.
People who public health has determined are infected with COVID-19 will be monitored by their local public health office, which will conduct contact tracing and provide them with advice as to treatment, self-isolation, and eventual return to work. Being considered to be infected with COVID-19 is a medical diagnosis, which is personal information. The employer will need to follow directions provided by public health, if a public health officer advises them that a person who is or has been present at the workplace is an infected person and requests that the employer report the contact information, if known, of each person who may have been exposed to the infected person, and consider their privacy law obligations.
Follow the instructions from the public health office.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency will advise if there are food product-specific requirements.
No product recalls have been announced in association with outbreaks in food facilities, as there have not been any reports of coronavirus being transmitted through food or food packaging.
What is the recovery testing protocol for staff who have recovered from COVID-19 and are ready to re-enter the workforce?
The employee must be off work for a minimum of 14 days, and may not return to work until they are asymptomatic and have had 2 negative swab tests.
Do N95 masks with a valve keep droplets in? Many studies show they don’t because they allow air to flow out.
No. An N95 mask with an exhalation valve defeats the purpose of not spreading droplets. Look for masks without these plastic valves.
Is there a recommandation for plant air filter MERV rating?
An industrial hygienist can recommend based on the size of the room, overall indoor air quality, and other factors. There is no one recommendation.
At a production/manufacturing company, are N95’s mandatory or is any type of mask ok for employees?
A surgical mask was probably sufficient in most production environments. An N95 mask is not required in most production environments but an Industrial Hygienist is best qualified to determine the appropriate type.
Re-evaluate the existing Workplace Respiratory Protection Program if in place before the COVID-19 pandemic. Alternatively, you may be able to use non-medical masks to protect against novel coronavirus spread between co-workers in work areas where the physical distancing measures are not adequately present and enforced. For the same work areas improved mechanical ventilation can be of benefit.