COVID-19: Initial Re-Opening and Workplace Safety
Across the country, provincial governments have been
preparing plans and guidelines for the re-opening of the economy.
On April 30th, the Ontario Government
introduced more than 50 guidance documents for various industries, which are
aimed at assisting employers and employees to stay safe as the province
eventually (at a yet-to-be-determined date) starts to reopen for business.
While none of the guidelines are aimed directly at the
multi-residential industry – be that condominium corporations, residential
rentals, housing cooperatives, etc. – many of the guidelines are directed at
sectors that work within those industries. These sectors include construction,
landscaping, transportation, utilities, office, sales and customer service, and
maintenance.
For those working in the multi-residential industry,
it will be helpful to review any guidelines that may apply, to see how you and
your colleagues, employers, and employees can be working together to follow the
guidelines and ensure the health and safety of all. Even if none of the
guidelines directly relate to your workplace, reviewing the guidelines for
similar business sectors may provide useful information that you can apply to
your particular situation.
The guidelines can be found here.
Today, May 1st,
the provincial government announced that certain businesses will be permitted
to start operating on Monday, May 4th. The businesses will be
required to follow the guidelines relevant to their operations. A full list of
the businesses that will be reopening on Monday, which includes lawn care and
landscaping and certain essential construction projects, can be found here.
