See the video answer to this question.

See the video answer to this question.

For workers self-isolating at home, the BC Centre for Disease Control recommends this protocol for home sterilization for someone self-isolating at home:

Daily:

• Clean and disinfect common areas and all surfaces in the room(s) where you are staying. Regular cleaning products are fine for this.
• Disinfect (kill germs) by mixing 1 part bleach with 9 parts water (1/3 cup bleach per gallon of water) and applying it to areas that are touched often such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and bedside tables.

It is especially important to use bleach to disinfect if you are sharing any common areas (such as a bathroom) with others or if others will be entering the room(s) where you are staying.

Follow manufacturer's instructions for proper ventilation.

NEVER MIX:

• Bleach + Ammonia (this generates a toxic gas called Chloramine, causing chest pain and shortness of breath)
• Bleach + Vinegar (this generates toxic Chlorine gas, causing breathing difficulty and burning, watery eyes)
• Bleach + Rubbing Alcohol (this generates toxic Chloroform, causing eye irritation and dizziness)
• Hydrogen Peroxide + Vinegar (this generates corrosive Peracetic Acid, known to irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract)

If someone in your home is infected with COVID-19, follow this in-depth cleaning protocol from the Centre for Disease Control in your home.

Confirmation of health checks are needed, as per WorkSafeBC guidance. See below: 

Employers must ensure that every worker performs a daily health check before entering the workplace. Health checks are mandatory self-assessments conducted by workers and includes confirming with their employer, in written or verbal format, that they have reviewed the complete list of entry requirements (included on this entry check poster) and that none of the prohibited criteria apply to them. 

Employers can use a number of methods to confirm that this self-assessment has taken place. Some examples include: 

• A written health check declaration completed by workers before entry. 
• An online health check form completed by workers before entry. 
• A verbal check in, done either in person, virtually, or by phone with every worker, confirming that the worker has completed their daily health check. 
• Other forms of a supervised daily health check process based on the above. 

Source

If you have been in close contact with someone who has (or suspects they may have) a COVID-19 infection, the BC Centre for Disease Control recommends you self-isolate at home for 14 days, watching for new signs or symptoms of infection. These may include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and in some cases, gastrointestinal issues.

Take your temperature each day and avoid the use of fever-reducing medications (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.) as much as possible, as these can mask the early signs of an infection. If you need to take any of these medications, advise your healthcare provider and ask for further direction.

If you develop any of these symptoms, use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool to help decide whether you need to contact a doctor.

Refer to the BC Centre of Disease Control Environmental Health Officer

Employers must inform all workers about the importance of not coming to work if they are sick or have symptoms. Once a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, a Public Health Officer will provide instructions for the workplace on what must be done. It is possible that the workplace will be closed temporarily for deep cleaning and then reopen once it is safe to do so.

http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19

Refer to BC Centre of Disease Control Environmental Health Officer.

(http://www.bccdc.ca/our-services/service-areas/environmental-health-services)

At this point, workers should be utilizing the system checker and call 811 to confirm what actions they should be taking, especially when they have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in their home, as they are at high risk of exposure and may be required to self-isolate based on recommendations from 811.

See WorkSafeBC guidance: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/about-us/news-events/announcements/2020/March/covid-19-and-the-workplace

Once a worker has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the public health office will conduct an investigation and will communicate instructions to the employer for what they must do next. As part of their investigation, they will be questioning others in the workplace to identify those who were in close contact with the individual.

If a worker suspects they may be infected, the BC CDC website has a COVID-19 Self-assessment tool (https://covid19.thrive.health/) and depending on the answers, it will provide next steps.

Considering pandemic planning would be a prudent process. Employers are expected to follow OHSR5.2 and OHSR5.59 in relation to COVID-19 exposure in their workplace.

OHSR 3.3 Contents of program

The occupational health and safety program must be designed to prevent injuries and occupational diseases, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the program must include:

1. A statement of the employer's aims and the responsibilities of the employer, supervisors, and workers,
2. Provision for the regular inspection of premises, equipment, work methods, and work practices, at appropriate intervals, to ensure that prompt action is undertaken to correct any hazardous conditions found,
3. Appropriate written instructions, available for reference by all workers, to supplement this Occupational Health and Safety Regulation,
4. Provision for holding periodic management meetings for the purpose of reviewing health and safety activities and incident trends, and for the determination of necessary courses of action,
5. Provision for the prompt investigation of incidents to determine the action necessary to prevent their recurrence,
6. The maintenance of records and statistics, including reports of inspections and incident investigations, with provision for making this information available to the joint committee or worker health and safety representative, as applicable and, upon request, to an officer, the union representing the workers at the workplace or, if there is no union, the workers at the workplace, and
7. Provision by the employer for the instruction and supervision of workers in the safe performance of their work.

The public health authority will work with you and the employee to trace contacts within your staff. Typically, "contacts" include anyone who has spent more than 15 minutes within 2 metres of the sick employee.

Learn more about submitting and managing reviews during the COVID-19 outbreak.