Protecting our workers and industry while working during the COVID-19 pandemic
As you know, the heavy construction industry has been deemed a critical service by the province meaning that our industry is in the fortunate position of being allowed to work during the COVID Pandemic.
With this in mind – and because of the visibility of our construction projects on the main streets and highways across our cities and province – it is critical that our companies demonstrate visible leadership in ensuring our workers are protected against the transmission of COVID-19 virus by keeping our worksites safe places. We do not want our workers getting sick.
Companies in our industry must diligently follow safety and health protocols written specifically to deal with the risk of infection, including:
- Daily health assessments of employees
- Physical distancing (2 meters/6 feet)
- Encouraging effective hand washing
- Providing clean & sanitary handwashing and toilet facilities
- Cleaning and disinfecting common surfaces such as tools and equipment
- Implementing alternative procedures such as masks and eye protection when physical distancing is not possible
- Effective training and communication of all policies
The failure to follow these policies could result in the government reversing its decision to allow the industry to work, as we have seen in some other provinces. That would be a serious setback for our workers and our industry. We all must implement these prevention measures so that our industry can continue our work providing critical services to Manitobans, as we help lead the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
WORKSAFELY™’s list of COVID-19 prevention protocols for our industry are available for you on the WORKSAFELY™ website here.
If you have questions, please contact the Director of the WORKSAFELY™ Program, Don Hurst (don@mhca.mb.ca or 204-291-4740), or your WORKSAFELY™ safety advisor (here) for information on implementing COVID-19 prevention protocols in your workplace.
