This document details the protocols and policies in place at all Nucor Environmental Services Ltd. (NES) offices in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic. This document summarizes NES’s COVID-19 Safety Plan, which was developed using the following six-step process:
1. ASSESSMENT OF RISK
NES has involved frontline workers, supervisors, and the Joint Health and Safety Committee in the establishment of this plan, protocols and policies.
NES has identified areas where people gather, such as break rooms, meeting rooms and project site trailers.
NES has identified job tasks and processes where workers are close to one another.
NES has identified the tools, machinery, and equipment that workers share while working.
NES has identified surfaces that people touch often, such as doorknobs, countertops, and light switches.
2. PROTOCOLS TO REDUCE RISK
In selecting and implementing protocols to minimize the risks of transmission, the following information, input, and guidance was reviewed and included:
Industry-specific protocols on worksafebc.com, Ontario.ca
From frontline workers, supervisors, the joint health and safety committee and NES’s health and safety department.
Orders, guidance, and notices issued by the provincial health officer and industry associations such as BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA).
Protocols to reduce the risk of person-to-person transmission:
To reduce the risk of the virus spreading through droplets in the air, NES has implemented protocols to protect against the identified risks using the hierarchy of controls.
Provincial health and safety regulations require employers to select controls based on the following hierarchy (elimination and substitution are not control options available during a global pandemic):
NES incorporates controls from various levels to address the risk at our office and project site locations. Measures in place include:
Engineering Controls:
Work area containments and enclosures that would be used to establish a designated work area or when isolating an impacted area, mechanical ventilation and HEPA filtered vacuums if cleaning or disinfection of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection site by the NES Emergency Response department.
The use of barriers or partitions while travelling together in company vehicles, personnel use the seat of vehicles as partitions
Administrative Controls:
NES has identified rules and guidelines for how workers should conduct themselves.
NES has clearly communicated these rules and guidelines to workers through a combination of training and signage.
Providing work-from-home arrangements, virtual meetings, rescheduling work tasks, and limiting the number of clients and visitors to NES office and project site locations.
Implementing measures to keep workers and others at least 2 metres apart, wherever possible.
During normal operation, NES offices do not have more than 50 occupants. NES will not reach more than 50 people on any of their premises.
As of May 15, approximately 60% of staff are working from home. Remaining personnel that work from the office locations are able to maintain physical distancing due to the decrease in the number of occupants to the offices. When at the office, half of staff use one stairwell while the other half uses the other stairwell to move between floors, in office locations that have stairs.
Visitors and clients are limited, and are pre-screened prior to entering office locations, and only when necessary.
The hazardous materials abatement, emergency services and industrial cleaning divisions continue to operate on client sites as an essential service and operate using the NES COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan and established Safe Work Procedures. NES follows not only the controls and preventative measures outlined in the NES COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan, but also the safety plans developed by clients or the Prime Contractors on project sites.
A working from home when sick policy has been developed for applicable workers (e.g. office and administrative staff, management, Project Managers).
In addition to following Client requirements, protocols and guidelines while on Client sites, NES is limiting the number of people that can be in the offices at one time, dedicating stairwells to one half of the office population, locking office doors to prevent any unauthorized visitors, cleaning and disinfecting the Surrey office twice a week with a deep clean on the weekends by the Emergency Response group following written safe work procedures, and the disinfecting of personal workspaces by each user.
The Quesnel office is cleaned and disinfected at the end of the day by trained workers.
The Prince George office is not often used, and when it is the users of the office are disinfecting the areas that are used during their stay at the office.
The Emergency Response team performs a cleaning and disinfection of the Edmonton office on weekends. Additionally, all office workers are expected to sanitize the surfaces they touch daily.
The Ontario office is a shared office space, cleaning and disinfection if a combination of third-party provided service and disinfection of personal workspaces by the users.
Disinfection includes high touch surfaces such as door handles/knobs, light switches, board room tables and chairs, desks, bathroom sinks and toilets. When any equipment or vehicles are used, the operator will disinfect high touch surfaces prior to use. Upon return, radios and tools are disinfected.
The establishment of the COVID-19 task force. This task force acts as a single point of contact for all COVID-19 related questions and concerns, monitors COVID-19 guidance and protocols by health authorities and other agencies and evaluates the potential impact of such policies on NES.
Daily self-monitoring of all personnel. A QR code that links to a health questionnaire has been established and is used by all office staff upon entry to the offices (the QR code is at the reception desk or posted on entry doors), and by all site personnel daily (the QR code is imbedded in the Site Specific COVID-19 Assessment and Work Plan for Supervisors document).
Additional controls developed for project sites:
Tool- box talks are done a daily basis based on risks and hazards present on site and related to the tasks taking place each shift, lead by one of NES’s supervisors.
Separate eating and changing areas.
Development of site-specific safe work procedures, including information on the cleaning and disinfection products to be utilized.
Development of a Site Specific COVID-19 Assessment and Work Plan for Supervisors, to aid in the assessment and need of COVID-19 related protocols to be used on client sites.
Supervisors monitor all workers to ensure that the appropriate PPE is worn, that it is worn consistently on job sites where COVID-19 was suspected or confirmed. Supervisors also monitor worker decontamination to ensure that it is done correctly and according to the specified procedures.
Use of Personal Protective Equipment:
NES has reviewed the information on selecting and using face coverings, non-medical masks and respirators and instructions on how to use each.
NES understand the limitations of face coverings and non-medical masks to protect the wearer from respiratory droplets. We understand that face coverings and non-medical masks should only be considered when other control measures cannot be implemented.
NES personnel are trained in the proper use of face coverings, non-medical masks and respirators.
Workers in the Hazardous Materials Abatement, Emergency Services and Industrial Cleaning divisions have extensive training and education on the use, operation and cleaning of 1/2 face, full face, PAPR and SCBA respirators due to the nature of NES's services. More information is available in the NES COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan and the Respiratory Protection Program.
1/2 face or full-face respirators with P100 filters are worn by workers when they are required to travel together in vehicles and by the Emergency Response group while disinfecting the Surrey and Edmonton offices.
Respirators are also worn in circumstances when physical distancing can't be maintained.
Protocols to reduce the risk of surface transmission through effective cleaning and hygiene practices:
NES has reviewed the information on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
NES offices have enough hand-washing facilities for all personnel. Hand-washing locations are visible and easily accessed.
When on Client sites, available hand washing facilities are used. In the event that running water is not available, all NES workers have access to alcohol-based hand rubs. When a decontamination area is established on Client sites, there is a policy that each worker will have their own wash bucket.
We have policies that specify when workers must wash their hands and we have communicated good hygiene practices to workers.
We have implemented cleaning protocols for all common areas and surfaces, including cleaning schedules.
Workers who are cleaning have adequate training and materials.
Some offices are not using coffee machines and microwaves while other offices are disinfecting these items prior to use by the user.
All workers have been instructed in hand washing and respiratory etiquette techniques using online training in the NES COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan. Signage is also provided throughout the offices and on Client sites, and Supervisors monitor and observe workers to ensure that appropriate hand-washing is taking place.
Respiratory etiquette signs have also been posted throughout the offices and at Client sites. More details are available in the NES COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan and established Safe Work Procedures.
3. POLICIES TO REDUCE RISK
NES has developed the necessary policies to manage our office and project site locations, including policies around who can be at the workplace, how to address illness that arises at the workplace, and how workers can be kept safe in adjusted working conditions.
Our workplace policies ensure that workers and others showing symptoms of COVID - 19 are prohibited from the workplace including anyone who has had symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 10 days, such as fever, chills, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and new muscle aches or headache, anyone directed by Public Health to self-isolate, anyone who has arrived from outside of Canada or who has had contact with a confirmed COVID - 19 case must self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms.
Clients and visitors are limited to NES office and project sites.
First aid attendants have been provided OFAA protocols for use during the COVID - 19 pandemic.
NES has a working alone policy in place.
NES has a work from home policy in place.
NES has a violence prevention program in place.
NES has a policy that addresses workers who may start to feel ill at work. It includes the following:
Sick workers report to first aid, even with mild symptoms.
Sick workers are to wash or sanitize their hands, be provided with a mask or respirator and are to be isolated from other workers and leave the office or project site and go home.
If the worker is severely ill (e.g., difficulty breathing, chest pain}, 911 will be called.
Any surfaces that the ill worker has come into contact with will be cleaned and sanitized.
4. COMMUNICATION PLANS AND TRAINING
To ensure that everyone who enters a NES office or project location, including workers from other employers, knows how to keep themselves safe while at our sites:
NES has a training plan to ensure everyone is trained in the new workplace policies and procedures.
Workers have received the policy on staying home when sick.
Signage has been posted throughout the offices and project sites, including occupancy limits and effective hygiene practices.
Signage has been posted at the entrances to the offices indicating who is restricted from entering the premises, including visitors and workers with symptoms.
Supervisors have been provided with training on monitoring workers and the workplace to ensure policies and procedures are being followed.
5. MONITORING AND UPDATING
We recognize that things may change. If we identify a new area of concern, or if it seems like something isn't working, NES will take steps to update the policies and procedures involving workers in this process.
NES has a plan in place to monitor risks. We will make changes to our policies and procedures as necessary.
Workers know who to go to with health and safety concerns.
When resolving safety issues, NES will involve the joint health and safety committee.
6. ASSESSING AND ADDRESSING RISKS FROM OPERATION
NES has continued to operate during the pandemic. We recognize that as we hire new staff, training protocols and programs include training on the COVID-19 exposure control plan, policies and procedures.