WORKPLACE RISKS

Gathering Areas: 

Front Reception – Behind and in front of Desk 

Front Window (Visitor Services) 

Coffee Station 

Hallway near coffee station 

Board Room 

 

Tasks and processes where workers are close to one another: 

Staff meetings 

Board Meetings 

Staff Training 

Events 

Workshops 

Meetings with members of the public 

Gathering areas – coffee area, training room 

 

Shared Equipment: 

Photocopier 

Postage Machine 

Coffee Machine 

Water Cooler 

Microwave 

Refrigerator 

 

High Traffic Surfaces 

Door Handles  

Light Switches 

Bathroom counters, sink handles, paper towel dispensers 

Dish cupboard fronts and handles 

Coffee area counter 

Front reception area counter 

Doors between boardroom and bathrooms/coffee station area 

VIC Window 

 

GUIDELINES

Shared Areas: 

Front Reception – Behind and in front of Desk 

  • People gathered in this area must always maintain a 2-meter distance from one another 
  • No more than two people may work behind the front desk at a time (one on either side) 
  • During the Spring, Summer, and Fall, the public may not enter the building through the front door and will be served through the window.  During Winter, the public will be served at the front desk from behind plexiglass. 
  • Signage to indicate safe social distancing will be posted. 
  • Signage will be placed on the front door to instruct visitors where and how to receive service 
  • Keyboards, phones, and counters must be wiped down after use at the end of the day or before another staff member enters the space 
  • Proper hand washing methods and hygiene reminders will be posted 
  • Masks are required for all tenants and staff when in gathering areas and hallways.  
  • Chamber staff – Masks are not required in a persons own office when they are in the office alone, however if other people come into their office, the must all wear masks and maintain safe social distance (2 meters) 
  • Occupancy limit posted : two 3 people at a time 

 

Front Window (Visitor Services during Spring, Summer, and Fall)   

  • The front window will be opened enough to hear and speak to patrons but closed enough to protect staff from droplets 
  • Staff will wear disposable gloves while interacting with the public 
  • VIC materials and other materials to be transferred between staff and patrons will be placed on the windowsill to pick up 
  • Patrons will be encouraged to use debit or credit for all transactions  
  • VIC will have main door locked and serve visitors through the front window 
  • Sanitizer will be made available at the window for staff and outside 
  • Signage placed outside of window to indicate safe social distancing protocols for window service 
  • Signage will be posted to inform anyone entering the building that masks are mandatory 
  • Signage posted inside by the service window to remind staff of safety protocols 
  • Service window will be sanitized inside and out at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of each day 
  • The sidewalk in front of the VIC window will be marked to indicate safe social distancing amongst visitors. (possibly using masking tape or sidewalk chalk) 
  •  Window must be disinfected inside and out each day 
  • Proper hand washing methods and hygiene reminders will be posted 

 

Coffee Station 

  • Staff and tenants will bring their own utensils and reusable coffee mugs when possible and will wash any dishes or utensils used with hot water and soap immediately after use 
  • Coffee station will be wiped down with disinfectant after each use 
  • Cupboard handles, taps and counters will be wiped down multiple times per day 
  • Hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectant wipes will be made available in the coffee area 
  • Proper hand washing methods and hygiene reminders will be posted 
  • Masks required at all times 
  • Occupancy limit posted – 2 occupants maximum 

 

Book Room 

  • Only one person in book room at a time when possible 
  • 2 people permitted in book room at once only when training VIC staff but 2- meter distance must be maintained 
  • Masks required at all times 
  • Occupancy limit posted – 2 occupants maximum 

 

Hallway near coffee station 

  • Social distance of two meters will be maintained 
  • Masks will be worn at all times 
  • Only two people can safely gather in this area at any given time 
  • Masks required at all times 
  • Occupancy limit posted – 2 occupants maximum 

 

Board Room 

  • Limited number of people in Board Room based on measurements made to accommodate social distancing 
  • Only enough chairs for the allowed capacity 
  • Chairs placed appropriate distance apart 
  • Signage about proper hygiene and safety protocols placed on the door to the boardroom and by the sink. 
  • Refrigerator, dishes, cutlery, or any cooking equipment will not be available for use by those renting the boardroom 
  • Sanitizer, disinfectant, and hand soap made available 
  • Staff and tenants will bring their own utensils and reusable coffee mugs when possible and will wash any dishes or utensils used with hot water and soap immediately after use 
  • Board tables and counters will be wiped with disinfectant after each use 
  • Occupancy limits will be posted 
  • Proper hand washing methods and hygiene reminders will be posted 
  • Masks required at all times 
  • occupancy limit posted – 10 occupants maximum 
  • sanitization of high touch surfaces performed before occupants enter the room (if occupants are not part of Chamber cohort) 
  • sanitization of room performed half and hour after occupants have left room (if occupants are not part of Chamber cohort) 

 

Washrooms: 

  • Proper cleaning supplies available in washrooms (soap, sanitizer, touchless paper towel dispensers) 
  • Doorknobs and light switches wiped down multiple times a day 
  • No public use of washrooms – staff and tenants only 
  • Proper hand washing methods and hygiene reminders will be posted 
  • Masks must be worn on the way to the washrooms 

 

Offices:  

  • when in offices alone, staff are not required to wear a mask 
  • when someone else enters the office masks are required if 2 meter distance cannot be maintained 

 

 

Guidelines for tasks and processes where workers are close to one another: 

  • Staff can maintain physical distance when doing tasks that require more than one person 
  • Staff will maintain a 2-meter distance when training   
  • Shared equipment will be wiped down after each use and one staff must step away from equipment and ensure safe social distance (2 meters) for the next staff member to step up to the equipment 
  • Masks will be worn when staff are interacting with one another 

 

Guidelines for shared equipment: 

  • Sanitary wipes will be placed beside all shared equipment and equipment must be wiped down before and after each use by the person using it 
  • Signage will be placed by all shared equipment indicating that it needs to be wiped down before and after use 
  • No more than one person can stand by shared equipment at once (must maintain 2m social distance) 
  • Proper hand washing methods and hygiene reminders will be posted 

 

Guidelines for high traffic surfaces: 

  • High traffic surfaces will be wiped down with disinfectant at least once during the workday and once at the end of the day when staff are closing everything up for the evening (twice total). 

 

First level protection (elimination): Limit the number of people at the workplace and ensure physical distance whenever possible 

☒ We have established and posted an occupancy limit for our premises. Public Health has advised that the prohibition on gatherings of greater than 50 people refers to “one-time or episodic events” (weddings, public gatherings), and is therefore not intended to apply to workplaces. However, limiting the number of people in a workplace is an important way to ensure physical distancing is maintained. [Public Health has developed guidance for the retail food and grocery store sector that requires at least 5 square meters of unencumbered floor space per person (workers and customers). This allows for variation depending on the size of the facility and may be a sensible approach for determining maximum capacity for employers from other sectors that do not have specific guidance on capacity from Public Health.  

☒ In order to reduce the number of people at the worksite, we have considered work-from-home arrangements, virtual meetings, rescheduling work tasks, and limiting the number of customers and visitors in the workplace. 

☒ We have established and posted occupancy limits for common areas such as break rooms, meeting rooms, change rooms, washrooms, and elevators. 

☒ We have implemented measures to keep workers and others at least 2 meters apart, wherever possible. Options include revising work schedules and reorganizing work tasks. 

☒ We have required that all staff and tenants wear masks when in the building’s common areas 

 

 First level protection measures in place:  

Measures: 

  • Occupancy limits posted 
  • Visitors limited to window 
  • Each staff member has their own workstation a safe social distance from other workstations 
  • No public entry to the main parts of building (those spaces not rented by tenants) 
  • See guidelines by area for further measures 
  • Masks required when in all shared spaces 
  • Signage on front door re: no entry if experiencing cold or flu symptoms. Masks required, no handling of brochures by customers 
  • Sanitization tracking sheet – filled out and signed when sanitization of touch points has been completed (a minimum of two times a day but preferably 3 – morning, mid-day, end of day) 
  • Sign in Sheet to show that staff are free of cold and flu symptoms – located at the front desk – this must be filled out each day at the beginning of shift by all staff entering the site 

  

Second level protection (engineering): Barriers and partitions 

☒ We have installed barriers where workers can’t keep physically distant from co-workers, customers, or others. (VIC window) 

☒ We have included barrier cleaning in our cleaning protocols 

 

Second level protection measures in place: 

  • Window service will mean that the window will be partially open leaving a barrier between visitors and staff to protect from droplets 

 

Third level protection (administrative): Rules and guidelines 

☒ We have identified rules and guidelines for how workers should conduct themselves.  

☒ We have clearly communicated these rules and guidelines to staff through a combination of training and signage. 

 

Risk Management and Violence Prevention – Refusal of Compliance to Public Health Orders 

If a customer enters the building with no masks: 

  • Ask them to put on a mask 

 

If the customer refuses to wear a mask: 

  • Keep your distance 
  • Stay behind the plexi-glass partition 
  • Request that the customer put on a mask or leave the premises 
  • Keep other customers out of the building until the situation is resolved 
  • If situation escalates call the Office Manager or Executive Director to assist you 

 

If the customer will not leave: 

Call 911