Frequently Asked Questions
In developing emergency response plans for when an employee tests positive for COVID-19, what is the recommended protocol for other employees who have potentially come into contact with this individual?
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.
Is WorkSafeBC open to employers supplementing any decision making with guidelines from other jurisdictions – especially those that are scientifically based such as those from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)?
Learn more about submitting and managing reviews during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Every employer that has confined space on their premises must have confined space procedures, but how do the confined space procedures need to be updated?
Employers that have a confined space must be compliant with Part 9 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Reference: WorkSafeBC Your first aid procedures should address how a worker injured in the confined space will be removed before first aid is initiated. Depending on the nature of the hazards in the confined space, you should consider likely injuries and methods available for safely removing the worker from the confined space. You should have a plan to remove the worker from the confined space that won’t further exacerbate likely injuries. This would also be a procedure to test with a drill.Are employers allowed to take the temperature of employees reporting for work?
The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation and the Workers Compensation Act do not require employers to implement health monitoring for COVID-19, such as checking temperatures or recording symptoms. Some employers may consider incorporating health monitoring into their COVID-19 policies. Employers may wish to get advice from an employment lawyer about how to balance workplace safety, human rights, and privacy issues before implementing such monitoring into their COVID-19 policy.
Employers have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of workers. As part of this, employers must develop policies and procedures that address how to eliminate or minimize the risk of worker exposure to COVID-19 in their workplace (OHSR 5.2). They must ensure these are communicated to everyone at the workplace and that workers and supervisors are trained in their responsibilities and rights, and the COVID-19 policies and procedures should be applied fairly and consistently.
The gathering and use of employees' medical information is typically private and confidential and it is governed by Employment Law, including privacy and human rights law in an employment context, and is outside of our jurisdiction. As much as we would like to be helpful and provide advice on such questions, we cannot properly do so. The advice we can provide to employers about medical information (which is typically private and confidential) is limited to the employer's obligations to provide that information in the OHS context (e.g. EIIR, inspections).
Is a face shield good enough instead of using a face mask?
No, face shields are not a replacement for a face mask.
Face shields may be used when masks are not an option:
- When communicating using lip-reading, when visual facial cues are essential, or when people may be unable to wear a mask due to a medical condition, a face shield may be an alternative to no mask.
- Some face shields may provide better protection than others. When needed, use face shields that wrap around your face and extend below the chin as well as hooded face shields.
- Non-medical clear masks that cover the nose and mouth are another option when visual communication is necessary. These options have not been widely assessed for their effectiveness.
Source: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/prevention-risks/masks
Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks/about-non-medical-masks-face-coverings.html#a8
More information:
- Selecting and using face shields in non-health care settings (WorkSafeBC resource)
What is the current false positive rate associated with the testing that is being used to determine case counts in Fraser Health and in the rest of BC and Canada?
Will the fast test become available at the borders, as in Calgary, Alberta?
Testing is currently available in an optional pilot program at YVR for WestJet domestic flights. Asymptomatic private testing is also available for travel and work purposes by appointment in-terminal and on Sea Island. Details here.
What if drivers come in first thing in the morning and then leave to sites immediately for the day, how would this impact our class category?
All workers who regularly attend a workplace must be included in the worker count for that workplace, even if they are on-site only briefly. When determining the minimum first aid requirements for a workplace, employers should count dispatched or transient workers as follows:- Count as one worker each dispatched worker who stays within 10 minutes' surface travel time from the workplace for more than 50% of the shift.
- Count one-quarter of the number of workers who travel more than 10 minutes' surface travel time from the workplace more than 50% of the shift.
- Pro-rate the number of transient workers based on an estimation of the time they attend the workplace. For example, if a warehouse has eight loading bays that are serviced by a fleet of delivery trucks throughout the day, the employer may determine that it is reasonable to include an additional eight workers for the purpose of determining first aid requirements at the warehouse, if that is the maximum number of delivery drivers that are likely to be at the workplace at any given time.
We heard that Fraser Health will inspect food processor on a monthly basis. Is this decision based on specific activities carried on in food processing that are exposing employees more than in other locations? IS it to preserve essential food processing? Overall, what is the reason?
Fraser Health has worked with WorkSafeBC to enhance proactive inspections for select industries. This is because these industries have been demonstrated to have high rates of transmission and/or large outbreaks and because these industries are critically important; aggressive control measures required once transmission occurs can be very costly for all parties.