Covid 19

ML NorthernPANDEMIC PLAN

The purpose of this plan is to protect employees from harmful exposures to the COVID-19 virus,
to reduce the risk of infection in the event of an exposure, and to comply with the Alberta
Occupational Health and Safety Act

3. Risk Identification and Assessment COVID-19 virus

The COVID-19 virus is transmitted via larger liquid droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. The virus
can enter through these droplets through the eyes, nose or throat if an employee is in close contact with a
person who carries the COVID-19 virus. The virus is not known to be airborne (e.g. transmitted through
the particles floating in the air) and it is not something that comes in through the skin. The COVID-19
virus can be spread by touch if a person has used their hands to cover their mouth or nose when they
cough or sneeze.
Droplet Contact: Some diseases can be transferred by large infected droplets contacting surfaces of the
eye, nose, or mouth. For example, large droplets that may be visible to the naked eye are generated
when a person sneezes or coughs. These droplets typically spread only one to two metres and are too
large to float in the air (i.e. airborne) and quickly fall to the ground. Influenza and SARS are two examples
of diseases capable of being transmitted from droplet contact. Currently, health experts believe that
the COVID-19 virus can also be transmitted in this way.
Airborne transmission: This occurs when much smaller evaporated droplets or dust particles
containing the microorganism float in the air for long periods of time. Transmission occurs when others

breathe the microorganism into their throat or lungs. Currently, health experts believe that the COVID-
19 virus cannot be transmitted through airborne transmission.

Using this guideline as a reference, we have determined the risk level to our workers, depending on their
potential exposure in the workplace.

4. Risk Management

Elimination of face-to-face contact is the best control possible. Controls would include distance control at
reception counters, relying on phone, email or regular mail to answer public questions. If practicable,
conduct services where social distancing is strictly enforced by having the equipment operator safely
removed from the equipment to be serviced and the equipment de-contaminated.
Engineering controls would be such examples of working from inside a delineated enclosure when
servicing equipment. Additional examples may include physical barriers, which limit personal human
contacts.
Administrative controls include hand washing and cough/sneeze etiquette. Cover your mouth and nose
with a sleeve or tissue when coughing or sneezing. Allow a reasonable personal distance space to
reduce human-to-human transmission. An increase in cleaning frequencies for shared work surfaces and
equipment, including company operated vehicles.
Personal Protective Equipment is the last resort of mitigation such, as wearing of masks, respirators,
coveralls/turnout gear, gloves, goggles and/or face-shields. The use of PPE is required in high-risk
situations, such as dealing with contaminated surfaces.
Handling PPE • Ensure employees do not share any type of PPE.
• Ensure used PPE is disposed of properly.
• Instruct employees responsible for trash removal on proper PPE and hand washing practices.
• Have reusable PPE disinfected as per manufacturer’s recommendation prior to each use

5. Assessing fitness for duty

✓ Supervisors and Managers should ask the following questions to all workers and to each other
before anyone is allowed on the work site. If anyone answers YES to any of the following
questions, that person should be directed to leave the work site immediately, then self-isolate,
and then call 811 Health Link.
✓ In the past 14 days have you had close contact with someone who is confirmed as having
COVID-19?
✓ In the past 14 days have you returned from travel to any other locations outside of Canada?
✓ Are you experiencing any of the following: fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath at rest,
inability to lie down because of difficulty breathing, difficulty managing a chronic health condition?

6. Managing Sick Employees

✓ Provincial employment standards, regulations, and worker rights have changes since the COVID-
19 outbreak. Additional changes to legislation may be made as the situation evolves. Always consult the Alberta government’s website for the most up to date information related to handling
COVID-19 work absences and self-isolation.
✓ Be prepared for a complete shut down
✓ The provincial government has the authority to shut down all non-essential businesses with little
or no warning to protect the public. Plan now for how your company will handle that
announcement if it was made today. This includes site security, communicating with workers, and
other business continuity plans.

7. Steps if a Case is Suspected

✓ If it is suspected that someone is sick in the Workplace: Ensure protection of workplace and
provide good solutions for workers.
✓ “Sick” means coughing or sneezing more than explainable from dust or environmental issues. It
could be the common cold or the flu, either way if there is a possibility that someone is sick, they
should be sent home.
✓ If a trade partner is suspected as sick, send them home and notify their manager. If an employee
who can work from home effectively is identified as sick, they will be sent home and use
technology to continue to work if possible.
✓ If an employee who cannot work from home effectively is identified as sick, they will be
temporarily laid off so they can recover.
✓ Anyone who goes home as sick or is sent home as sick must take the online test to see if they
should get further COVID-19 testing. If they do not require further testing, they may return to work
after showing no symptoms for 14 days. Report this to your, your supervisor and your EHS Safety
Lead.

8. What to do with a confirmed COVID-19 case

✓ The projections show that 30-70% of the population may ultimately get this illness. All the
measures being implemented are to slow the spread to ensure the medical system has the
capacity to treat those who need it when they get it.

9. In the event of a confirmed case

✓ Notify everyone by email as soon as it is confirmed. It is important to communicate well through
this so you will be the first to know.
✓ Follow the guidelines provided by Alberta Health Services

10. Other Business Considerations

✓ We must work together to ensure job sites remain open. Strong leadership to fully comply with
government mandates is imperative.
✓ Have a process in place should any short-term site shutdown occur
✓ Preplan your orderly exit if an order is issued today to close one or many sites.

11. Site Meetings

✓ Job toolbox meetings to be held outside, with appropriate social distancing or have people call in.
No signatures or transfer of documents. Site Supervisor signs on their behalf.
✓ Hazard assessment’s and other paper submission documents boxes to be moved outside with
two boxes – Documents can be retrieved 24 hours later.
✓ When arranging necessary inspections from clients or authorities having jurisdiction, indicate to
them they will not be allowed to visit our site if they are showing any signs of being sick.
✓ In person meetings must have no more than 5 people in attendance
✓ Consider conference / skype calls to reduce the number of attendees
✓ All non-essential events are canceled or postponed;
✓ Large job shacks limited to maximum 5 people and small job shacks limited to maximum 3
people. Social distancing required.
✓ Site constraints are based on site size using appropriate social distancing. Suggested guidelines
are no more than 3 or 4 people working in 1000 sq. ft. of space, or 10 people working in 10,000
sq. ft. Examples and exceptions:
✓ Tradespeople working in teams to do work (Services / Fuel and Lube) must know each other well
enough to be sure of the proximity risk of working together. For larger groups working together
(mechanics, equipment operators, services, fuel and lube) who cannot manage social distancing
to do their work must have a conversation with the Safety Advisor and the Project Team to
ensure we can proceed with the work safely. Crews that work together all the time will have a
lower risk than hastily assembled crews.
✓ Workers at sites should avoid working less than six feet from others for prolonged periods unless
their role requires prolonged closer proximity. Case specific risks and solutions will be assessed
by the workers employer for those individuals required by their roles to work within these close
proximities;
✓ Individuals should utilize technologies available to them such as email, text and teleconferencing
to minimize direct contact with others;

✓ Project teams should stagger break and lunch schedules to minimize the number of people near
one another;
✓ Project teams may also consider staggering start / finish times aimed at reducing large group wait
times at the gates and the equipment;
✓ Meetings should be held in the area where an individual works, instead of a large gathering point;
✓ For all remaining in person gatherings, and in work environments in general, participants should
exercise recommended practices for reducing the risk of transmission as identified by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada and the World Health Organization.

12. Jobsite Sanitation Measures

✓ As hand sanitizer is becoming a scarce commodity Contractors are making immediate
arrangements to construct temporary sinks / handwash areas with hand soap, paper towels and
garbage cans. The locations will be at various high-traffic locations.
✓ Each contractor is responsible for providing hand sanitizer for their worker’s needs.
✓ Each subcontractor remains responsible for cleanliness in their lunchrooms.
✓ Each subcontractor remains responsible to provide PPE, noting that glove use is mandatory at
MLNS.
✓ Each subcontractor is responsible for disinfecting shared tools between uses.

13. Other Options to Consider

✓ Only one driver per vehicle or sanitize between drivers.
✓ Use only your own tools or sanitize between operators. At breaks maintain social distance:
easy reference two arm lengths (1 metre).
✓ Eat lunch alone, where possible in your vehicle, respecting social distance.
✓ Workers who take site transportation must sanitize their hands prior to starting work.

14. Office Social distancing:

✓ If possible, have a work from home strategy, move desks apart, sanitize your office regularly.
✓ Have employees stay at least 2 m away from each other whenever possible.
✓ Perform meetings online or via conference call whenever possible.
✓ Limit the number of people on a jobsite by allowing non-essential personnel to work from home. •
Schedule work to avoid stacking (i.e., scheduling multiple trades in the same work area at the
same time)
✓ Reassess any work task or bottleneck that requires employees to stand in line (e.g., site entry,
tool crib, etc.)
✓ Reassess how safety activities are done so social distance is maintained (e.g., toolbox talks,
FLHAs, etc.)
✓ Stager work start and stop times and breaks and lunch times so employees can maintain social
distancing.
✓ Encourage employees to use their own vehicles or arrange for additional company vehicles.
✓ Increase shuttle bus frequency to spread out ridership.
✓ Keep a limit of 2-3 people in any elevator.
✓ • Eliminate hand-shaking and other contact greetings.Warning on your door:
✓ Do not allow delivery people in your office unless they have confirmed they are in good health.
External workers:
✓ Have them complete a statement saying they are in good health before allowing them access to
your premises.
Work from Home Security:
✓ The risk of phishing or other attacks is on the increase as the hackers are literally seeking to
exploit the situation

15. Considerations

Our industry is known as a safety conscious and diligent community of professionals and as we work
through this situation we will learn, continuously improve and take our capabilities to new heights as we
serve our customers our people and the communities that we are part of.
Reducing Exposure to COVID-19 on Construction Sites The information in this document is a collection of
best practices from the following organizations: Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Construction Safety
Association, the Association of General Contractors of America, and The Builder’s Association. Individual
companies must decide what actions to take to protect their employees and to prevent the spread of
COVID-19.
Accepting Personal Responsibility It is critical that all employees (managers, supervisors, and workers)
self-isolate if they are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat,
inability to lie down because of difficulty breathing, or difficulty managing a chronic health condition.
• Communicate key AHS recommendations to all employees daily using multiple methods such as email,
safety meetings, daily briefings, and tailgate meetings. (Current AHS recommendations are on the AHS
website – www.albertahealthservices.ca)
• Include COVID-19 as a hazard on all site-specific/field level hazard assessments which will allow
supervisors to talk about social distancing and hand washing as effective controls for that hazard.
• Put up AHS information posters at all access points to the work site and in all common areas and stress
the importance of social distancing. (See AHS website for downloadable posters –
www.albertahealthservices.ca)
• Instruct employees to wash their hands properly and frequently with soap and water for at least 20
seconds. (Posters for proper handwashing and hand rubbing techniques are downloadable from the
World Health organization website – www.who.int).
• Use videos and other resources from the World Health Organization (WHO) in safety meetings
(www.who.int)
• Inform employees that alcohol-based hand rubs are only effective on hands that are already clean (i.e.,
not visibly soiled by dirt, grime, or other common work site contaminates).
Reducing communal food and water
• Eliminate communal food sources or the practice of bringing in food for common use into the work site
(e.g., donuts, fruit plates, pizza, candies, other snacks, potluck events, etc.)
• Provide individual water bottles or instruct employees to bring their own water. (i.e., eliminate water
coolers)