Today the government released safety guidelines to protect workers, customers and the general public from COVID-19 in five key sectors – construction, food processing, restaurant and food services, agriculture and manufacturing – as Ontario prepares for a gradual reopening of the provincial economy.
While there have been no dates announced for the reopening of the economy, the Premier emphasized in his announcement that he wants companies to start getting ready.
These guidelines are intended to help employers and workers better understand how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, the government is providing downloadable posters for both employees and employers in these sectors, as well as for long term care homes, which promote safety tips on physical distancing and sanitation. (See live links below.)
Construction sector:
Food processing sector:
Restaurant and food services sector:
Agriculture sector:
Manufacturing sector:
Long term care sector:
The guidance documents build on more than 60 sector-specific safety guidelines previously released for sectors across the economy. (See here.)
The Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, the Honourable Monte McNaughton, also announced that 58 new inspectors have been deployed to help with the implementation of new guidelines in workplaces and enforce physical distancing measures. This brings the total number of inspectors to about 500.
The government press release can be found here.