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Plan, Prepare and Respond to Corona Virus Disease 2019

PLAN, PREPARE AND RESPOND TO CORONA VIRUS DISEASE 2019

The following is an extraction from the Gazette on Consolidated Coronavirus COVID-19 Direction on Occupational Health and Safety Measures in Workplaces –  complete PDF version of Gazette 43400 of 4 June 2020

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), read with its regulations and incorporated standards, requires the employer to provide and maintain as far as is reasonably practicable a working environment that is safe and without risks to the health of workers and to take such steps as may be reasonably practicable to eliminate or mitigate the hazard or potential hazard.

The OHSA further requires employers, to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that all persons who may be directly affected by their activities (such as customers, clients or contractors and their workers who enter their workplace or come into contact with their employees) are not exposed to hazards to their health or safety. This obligation also applies to self -employed persons (for example, plumbers or electricians) whose working activities bring them into contact with members of the public.

All employers need to consider how best to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and lower the impact in their workplace. This may include activities in one or more of the following areas:

  1. reduce transmission among employees,
  2. maintain healthy business operations, and
  3. maintain a healthy work environment.