Canada:
Controlling Rate Of Transmission At Industrial Camps
28 May 2020
Clark Wilson LLP
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Industrial camps are particularly at risk for transmission of
COVID-19, evidenced by the 83 cases associated with the Kearl Lake
Oil Sands project in Alberta. To keep employees at B.C. industrial
camps safe, the Provincial Health Officer (the "PHO")
issued an order on April 23, 2020 for the operation of industrial
camps during COVID-19 (the "Order"). The Order requires
employers, employees and an appointed coordinator to comply with
various health and safety requirements on and off site.
An 'industrial camp' is defined as land or premises
where an employer maintains living quarters for employees.
Construction sites that fall within the specified sectors listed in
the Order (agricultural, aquacultural, forestry and resource
sectors), such as BC Hydro's Site C dam project, must abide by
the Order.
The Order is unique in that it requires the employer to appoint
a coordinator to act as a liaison between the employer and the
public health officer. The coordinator must report any failure on
the part of the employer or employees to the health officer. The
Order also requires heightened vigilance on the part of employees
to practice social distancing, requiring that employees remain in
their accommodations on days when they are not required at the
worksite and to seek special leave from the coordinator if they
wish to visit a public establishment.
The Order is summarized in the following chart and can be found
at this link:
PERSON: |
DESCRIPTION: |
EMPLOYERS |
- Develop a COVID-19 infection prevention and control protocol
(the "Protocol") and post the Protocol in a prominent
place at the accommodations and the worksite
- Maintain high levels of hygiene
- Provide a rapid response if a worker develops symptoms of
COVID-19, including procedures to isolate the worker, access to a
health professional and notifying the health officer
- Do not permit a worker who has symptoms of COVID-19 to
work
- Ensure that a worker with symptoms of COVID-19 is
self-isolating and provide the support the worker needs to
self-isolate
- Appoint a person as co-ordinator
- Arrange for a health officer to inspect the accommodations,
worksite, and vehicles to determine if they support the prevention
and control of transmission of COVID-19 and if the Protocol can be
implemented
|
COODINATORS |
- Act as a liaison between the employer and the health
officer
- Oversee the implementation of the Protocol
- Monitor the health of workers daily, keep a daily record of
monitoring activities and inform the health officer if any worker
exhibits symptoms
- Ensure that workers are transported in a way that limits the
risk of transmission between the workers and the driver, to the
extent possible
- Monitor worker compliance with the Order
- Inform the health officer of any failure to implement the
Protocol on the part of the employer, or if a worker fails to
comply with the requirements of the Order
|
WORKERS |
- Follow the Protocol
- Follow infection prevention and control practices including
diligent hand hygiene
- To the extent practical, reduce close contact with other
persons by maintaining a two metre separation and avoiding shared
spaces
- To the extent practical, limit the risk of transmission when
travelling to and from work and between shifts
- Remain in accommodations on days when not required at the
worksite
- Avoid any unnecessary visits to public establishments and only
leave accommodations if approved by the coordinator or in the case
of a medical emergency
- While away from accommodations: 1) maintain a distance of two
metres 2) carry a mask or tissues at all times 3) if develop
symptoms of COVID-19 while away from accommodations, put on the
mask or cover nose and mouth with tissues and return immediately to
accommodations
- Self-monitor daily for signs and symptoms of illness
- If exhibit symptoms inform the coordinator and self-isolate for
10 days, unless instructed otherwise by a health professional
|
As the government puts a restart plan into motion for businesses
and communities in B.C., construction sites in B.C. will likely be
required to operate under the PHO's requirements for some time
still. This is likely to be the case for industrial camps in
particular due to the heightened risk of transmission.
Article originally published on 7 May 2020
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.
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