COVID-19 Safety Plan
RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED AT ECOTREND ECOLOGICS LTD DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

1) Staff are required to complete the daily health check questionnaire before entering the workplace and acknowledge that they have done so by using the clock-in tool. The daily health check questionnaire is attached to this letter. Only employees who do not have any of the symptoms or exposures listed on the health check questionnaire are permitted to enter the workplace.

Higher risk groups (older people, people with underlying medical conditions) are encouraged to self-monitor at all times and to make use of individual measures such as frequent hand hygiene, social distancing, and respiratory etiquette.

2) All returning international travelers are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Those returning from domestic trips are also required to self-isolate for 2 weeks/ 14 days and to closely self-monitor after travelling.

3) Before and after eating in the kitchen, staff are required to sanitize all surfaces that they will be using to prepare or eat at, and anything they touched once they are finished. No more than 2 people are allowed to eat in the kitchen at the same time with maximum of 3 people present in the kitchen space. Staff are encouraged to take lunch outside and are required to use their own personal dishes and utensils rather than communal ones.

4) Warehouse staff: it’s essential to wash hands prior to and after picking or packing. Minimize sharing of communal computers. Only those stations that are 2 meters away are in use. Markers are put at 2 meters away to make sure appropriate distance is kept in the warehouse and in the office space. Daily cleaning log for high-touch surfaces needs to be filled out by a staff member from the warehouse.

5) Due to the nature of distribution business with shipments and deliveries, higher risk of exposure is present. Courier services workers are asked not to touch door knobs, doors, and are required to ring the bell prior to coming in the warehouse space. Customers looking to pick up their order in person are required to ring the bell and pick their orders from the dedicated area. Reminders and signs are placed in areas of potentially close contact. A separate washroom is dedicated to delivery/pickup personnel. Delivery workers are also required to use their own pallet jacks. If this is not possible, pallet jacks are sanitized after being touched. Cleaning materials are provided in high use areas in each space.

6) Personnel start working at different times to avoid crowding at clocking in/out. Hand sanitizer is mandatory prior and after using clock-in tool.

7) Extra cleaning procedures are to be set in place: cleaning of rails/ doorknobs and commonly used spaces frequently throughout the day. Each department is responsible for cleaning surfaces that are in frequent use in their space. Sanitizing equipment and work stations at least 3 times daily is recommended. Doors are allowed to remain open to reduce contact with the door handles. Employees are required to use their own office equipment, such as pens, staplers, headsets, etc.

8) Everyone who can work from home are required to work from home per management instructions.

9) Employees are asked to be mindful of how they spend their off hours after finishing their shift, for their and their team's safety. Staff are asked to follow guidelines imposed by the government:

Stay at home: All the country’s top public health officials have urged Canadians to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary for grocery runs, exercise or medical emergencies.

Stay apart: When you do go outside, stay at a distance of two meters (about the length of a hockey stick) from other people.

10) Ecotrend is no longer open to walk-in visitors. The letter to the customers is outlining measures taken in attempt to keep staff and the community safe is available. If visiting the building is required, visits to the workplace should be prearranged. Visitors have the option to familiarize themselves with the safety procedures set in the building. Printed versions are available at the building’s entrance. Visitor Log needs to be filled out and pens need to be sanitized after each use. Visitors are asked to use hand sanitizer prior to entering the building.

11) Everyone working in the building to put down their phone number on the board. Staff are going to be cross-trained and rotated to continue operations as much as possible. In addition, staff contact list is updated on regular basis, including emergency contact list.

12) All employees taking public transit are asked to instead use personal vehicles. The number of employees taking public transit is minimized. Carpooling options are considered.

13) Some of our employees are cross-trained to perform tasks associated with continuation of running the business in the event of absenteeism spikes from increases in sick employees, those who stay home to care for sick family members, and those who must stay home to watch their children if dismissed from school. Doctor’s notes are not required for those who are sick or taking care of sick family members during the pandemic.

14) All employees are reminded of the practices and are continuously updated on new measures in place. Signs have been posted to remind about the safety measures in place.

15) Hand washing stations and hand-sanitizing stations are present in prominent locations and at the entrances of the building. All employees have been given hand-sanitizers. Staff are required to frequently wash their hands and avoid touching their faces. Reminders about effective hand-washing techniques are placed near hand-washing stations. Please familiarize yourself with the techniques and length required to effectively clean your hands.

16) Employees are educated on using masks in the work place. Reminders are posted in prominent areas. Staff are required to wear face coverings in the common areas, in the warehouse and whenever physical distancing is not possible.

17) Body temperature is taken at the beginning of each shift and is noted on the Body Temperature Check Log. If the reading of the infrared thermometer is above 37.5 °C, or if employee starts to develop light symptoms during their shift, the employee is required to contact the manager or first aid to make arrangements with transportation.

18) Special cleaning protocol is in place and presented to the contactor cleaning company. Staff are asked to frequently sanitize their stations and to follow special garbage removal guidelines: garbage needs to be taken out every day after the shift to avoid potential spread of the virus. Warehouse staff are required to make sure that all shared equipment is sanitized after each use.

19) All upcoming trade shows and other business-related trips have been cancelled or postponed until further notice.


DAILY HEALTH CHECK QUESTIONNAIRE

Staff are required to complete the daily health check questionnaire before entering the workplace. Clock-in function is used as acknowledgment of the completion of the self-assessment questionnaire.

Assessment questions

1. Are you displaying any of the following new or worsening symptoms:

2. Have you travelled outside of Canada (including the United States) within the last 14 days? Travel includes passing through an airport.

3. Have you been told to isolate by Public Health?

4. Did you have close contact with someone with COVID-19 (probable or confirmed) within the last 14 days while they were ill?

Close contact is defined as a person who:

If you respond NO to all questions, proceed to work as usual.

If you respond YES to any of the questions, remain at home and contact your Manager directly, to report your health status. Follow provincial and local health guidelines.