With a second wave and a possible third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to change the way that people work and live in Canada, businesses need to remain safe and continue to protect their employees.
Internal policies that reflect government directives, including the British Columbia government’s written safety plan requirement, allow employers to establish their safety protocols and procedures for keeping their workplaces safe during a communicable or infectious disease outbreak or pandemic.
A COVID-19 Safety Plan outlines the policies, guidelines and procedures put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and provides a mechanism for monitoring the workplace and updating the plan as necessary. The plan also signals that the business has done its homework and that workers and visitors can enter the workplace with confidence.
The recently added Communicable/Infectious Disease Response and Business Continuity policy in PolicyPro outlines how a company will ensure the safety of its employees and the continuity of its business during a pandemic. The BC government safety plan template is provided as part of that policy. Simply modify the policy and safety plan templates to suit your workplace circumstances and distribute the policy and safety plan to your employees through the PolicyPro platform.
In the event of a workplace inspection, you can demonstrate your duty of care by providing a copy of your COVID-19 Safety Plan and a report showing that your employees have signed off after reading the policy and the plan.
The Safety Plan template, along with other information regarding COVID-19 safety measures, is available in the Emergency Preparedness Policies chapter of the British Columbia edition of PolicyPro under 7.03 Communicable/Infectious Disease Response and Business Continuity. It’s one of 13 policies in the new Emergency Preparedness chapter in Human Resources PolicyPro.
It’s essential to have a communicable/infectious disease response and business continuity policy in place with an up-to-date safety plan to ensure your workplace is complying with the ever-evolving rules of the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain a free copy of the policy, as well as the Safety Plan template, go to firstreference.com for a 30-day trial and to learn about the other 12 policies in the Emergency Preparedness chapter.
Learn how PolicyPro can help you manage, distribute and get signoff for your HR policies.
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