POLICIES & PROCEDURES 
COVID-19 
& 
THE WORK SITE 

Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19 

What are the symptoms? 
Symptoms range from mild, like the flu and other common respiratory infections, to severe. 
The most common symptoms include: 
-fever 
-cough 
-difficulty breathing 
-fatigue 
Complications from the 2019 novel corona virus (COVID-19) can include serious conditions, like pneumonia or kidney failure, and in some cases, death. 

Self-Assessment of Workers Entering the Worksite 
Every morning, prior to leaving your house for work, you must ask yourself the following questions:
1) Are you experiencing any of the following:
-Severe difficulty breathing (e.g. struggling to breathe or speaking in single words)
-Severe chest pain
-Having a very hard time waking up
-Feeling confused
-Losing consciousness
2) Are you experiencing any of the following:
-Shortness of breath at rest
-Inability to lie down because of difficulty breathing
-Chronic health conditions that you are having difficulty managing because of difficulty breathing
3) Are you experiencing any of the following:
-Fever (defined as greater than 38 degrees Celsius)
-Cough
-Sneezing
-Sore Throat
-Difficulty breathing
4) Have you traveled to any countries outside Canada (including the United States) within the last 14 days? 
-Travel includes passing through an airport.
5) Did you provide care or have close contact with a person with COVID-19 (probable or confirmed) while they were ill?
A close contact is defined as a person who:
Provided care for the individual, including healthcare workers, family members or other caregivers, or who had other similar close physical contact without consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment.
Lived with or otherwise had close prolonged contact (within 2 meters) with the person while they were infectious.
Had direct contact with infectious bodily fluids of the person (e.g. was coughed or sneezed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment.

If you respond NO to all questions, proceed to work as usual.
If you respond YES to any of the questions, remain at home and contact your Manager directly, to report your health status.

Additionally, for any YES answers, consult your local public health authority for further guidance on next steps. 
TeleHealth Ontario number: Toll-free: 1-866-797-0000

Reporting of Signs and Symptoms 
Stay home if you are feeling ill. If you detect symptoms, you should immediately distance yourself from others and go home. If possible, avoid using public transit. Ensure you notify your supervisor so that they are aware of the situation and can also notify others who may have been exposed. 

Steps to take: 
-Immediately isolate yourself from other workers. 
-Immediately advise your supervisor of your concerns.
-Report to your supervisor a list of where and who you have been in contact with on the project.
-Wash or disinfect your hands, avoid touching surfaces, and put on a face mask if one is available.
-Maintain physical distancing. Maintaining a distance of at least 2 metres (6 feet) between persons. 
-Leave the workplace immediately, return home, self-isolate as recommended by public health officials, and seek medical advice. 
-Be aware of the risk of transmission while travelling home and keep your face protection in place. This will help to protect others if you are using shared or public transportation.
-If being tested, contact your supervisor so that you can inform them of your COVID-19 test results. If the results are negative, this information may allow any other workers who are in self-isolation to learn they are not at risk from exposure to you, and may allow them to return to work.

There are no specific treatments for corona viruses, and there is no vaccine that protects against corona viruses. Most people with common human corona virus illnesses will recover on their own. 
You should: 
-Drink plenty of fluids. 
-Get rest and sleep as much as possible. 
-Try a humidifier or a hot shower to help with a sore throat or cough.

How Social/Physical Distancing Will Be Accomplished 
-Staggering start times - Enter the worksite one person at a time bringing all needed tools onto site, then the next person may enter a few minutes later.
-Staggering breaks - Take breaks independently - Not together.
-Staggering lunches - Take lunches independently - Not together.
-Workers will work in their own space apart from each other, other than for helping each other with height supervision on tall ladders. 
-When working together, masks must be worn when workers cannot be 6 feet apart, and immediately disinfect the areas that were touched while being in close proximity to each other.
-Team meetings will be held outside or in a large space to enable workers to stand 6 feet apart for physical distancing.

Site Sanitization and Hygiene 
Regularly disinfect any areas that you are frequently in contact with or are used by other people by using the disinfecting solution in the spray bottle and paper towels provided. (e.g., door handles, hand railings, tools, faucets, counter tops, desks, pens, phone, steering wheel). *Do not spray on soft surfaces, ex. fabric couches, bedspreads, towels, curtains, etc.
-Wash your hands frequently. 
-Use gloves when cleaning potentially contaminated surfaces. 
-Dispose of soiled materials (paper towels) in regular garbage and wash gloves with soap and water before removing them, then wash hands with soap and water after removing them. 
-Remove garbage from the facility and wash hands after disposal. 
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. 
*Review procedures with your supervisor or employer. If the procedures are not working, communicate with your supervisor/employer to modify. Also, notify your supervisor/employer if more resources are needed.

Protecting Yourself and Your Co-Workers
Corona-viruses are spread through close contact, including at work. Here are some helpful tips to help prevent the spread of germs:
-Wear your mask when you must be within close proximity to other workers/customers.
-Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
-Sneeze and cough into your sleeve.
-If you use a tissue, discard immediately and wash your hands afterward.
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
-Avoid contact with people who are sick.
-Stay home if you are sick.
-Avoid high-touch areas, where possible, or ensure you clean your hands after.
Where possible, wear gloves when interacting with high-touch areas. Do not touch your face with gloved hands. Take care when removing gloves. Ensure you wash your hands after removing them.
Wash your clothes as soon as you get home.
If you are ill: notify your supervisor immediately, complete the self-assessment and follow the instructions you get.

*For more information on the government guidelines surrounding covid-19 on the construction site, check out this link. https://www.ontario.ca/page/construction-site-health-and-safety-during-covid