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Many businesses in our community and across the country have faced significant hardships over the course of the COVID-19 global pandemic. As Ontario moves through its steps of reopening, the resources here provide infection prevention and control measures and guidelines to support workplace efforts to help protect employees and customers and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
The Hamilton COVID Concierge Team and Hamilton Public Health Services partnered together to provide these resources and are committed to supporting local workplaces to WorkWise.
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Keep your employees and your workplace safe. Public health measures continue to be effective in stopping COVID-19 spread.
WorkWise by knowing and following the rules and regulations that govern your sector’s ability to operate. Read more about the sector-specific guidance that applies to your workplace in Step Three Reopening. Click here to learn more.
Following public health measures helps to protect your employees, your customers, and your community, and reduces the likelihood of needing to shut down due to outbreaks or reduced staffing.
When workplaces understand how COVID-19 spreads, they can implement measures known to help protect employees and customers. The Public Health Guidance for Workplaces webpage information can help businesses and employers identify what infection prevention and control measures to put in place.
You can also learn more about how to keep your workplace safer and WorkWise on the Provincial COVID-19 and workplace health and safety webpage.
The information below contains resources, including posters and social media messaging you can share with your workplace.
Businesses that are open to the public need to post the following three signs as applicable in a place where they will be visible to the public:
All businesses and workplaces are also required to actively screen their employees and essential visitors. All screening tools can be found here: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/download-covid-19-screenings#2.-worker-and-employee-screening
The following businesses are also required to actively screen customers:
Active screening means employers use information gathered to decide who can enter the workplace. Passive screening is when people decide their own risk and make the decision themselves
Temperature checks are neither required or recommended as part of screening
Please ensure that if you download a paper version of the screening tool, you check the webpage frequently to determine if any changes were made to the screening tools you are using.
All businesses open to the public are required to have a written safety plan that is posted in a visible place made available upon request.
The safety plan must describe how the requirements will be implemented in the location including by screening, physical distancing, masks or face coverings, cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and objects, the wearing of personal protective equipment and preventing and controlling crowding.
Additionally facilities for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities need to include in their safety plan how to prevent gatherings and crowds at events and mitigate the risk of any interactive activity, exhibits or games.
Additional support for creating your safety plan can be found on the City of Hamilton’s webpage.
Certain workplaces may operate based solely on the ability to physically distance, i.e. ensuring that individuals remain at least 2 metres apart from others.
Depending on the size of your retail location, there are different options for how to calculate maximum capacity while still supporting physical distancing.
Capacity Limits for Retail Spaces:
Capacity Limits for Businesses Open to the Public:
Businesses open to the public must ensure that physical distancing of at least 2 metres from every other person in the business or facility can be maintained and that the total number of members of the public in the business or facility at any one time does not exceed 50% capacity indoors and 75% outdoors
Food or drink establishments with dance facilities, bathhouses & sex clubs are limited to 25% capacity indoors (or 250 persons, whichever is less).
Additional resources, including posters and signage and translated resources, can be found on the City of Hamilton’s Public Health Guidance for Workplaces (under ‘Workplace Resources’)
Click on the posters below to download them. You are encouraged to print them and display them in your workplace!
Below is a checklist of general public health measures that can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Test your organization. How WorkWise are you?
Participate in some of our community’s webinars, tailored to answering questions and creating safer workplaces in our community.
Speakers Bureau Q&A Sessions – Vaccine Confidence
The Speakers Bureau is a group of nine primary care physicians who are working in partnership with Hamilton Public Health Services to improve vaccine confidence in Hamilton. The physicians can host online community Q&A sessions to provide evidence-based information about COVID-19 vaccines. To book a virtual session for your workplace, please email your request to vaccineambassador@hamilton.ca.
Many adjustments were required to successfully operate your businesses during the pandemic. Businesses as well as employees needed to frequently pivot in response to regulations and required health measures changes.
Recognize and celebrate employees’ continued effort in and contribution toward making the workplace a safer space. Let your employees know how much you appreciate their dedication, especially during these trying times.
What’s enabled your organization to WorkWise?
Share the innovations and safety measures that your organization has implemented during COVID-19 to make your workplace a safer space.
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