COVID-19: Tools for businesses

An evolving toolkit has been posted on the CNESST’s website, addressed to employers and workers in all economic sectors to support them in their management of health and safety.

In there you will find :

• Workplace Sanitary Standards Guide for the Retail and Shopping Centre Sector – COVID-19
• Daily Checklist – Retail and Shopping
• A poster presenting preventive health measures

A healthy and safe work environment relies on the commitment and collaboration of everyone, both employers and employees, including customers.

In order to achieve this, business managers are responsible for keeping themselves informed of public health recommendations and for applying preventive measures related to COVID-19.

You can find many guides and documents online that have been made available by various government bodies.

To make it easier for you, here is a summary listing the main recommendations to be applied at the workplace.

These cover several aspects, such as:

• Working schedule and arrangements;
• Triage of symptomatic workers;
• Hand hygiene;
• Respiratory etiquette;
• Physical distancing and contact minimization;
• Pay extra attention to the busiest areas inside and outside shops (waiting lines, checkouts)
• Cleaning and disinfection of spaces and surfaces;
• Payment methods and handling of objects.

The number of people admitted in a store is determined according to the floor area accessible to customers. The reception capacity of the establishment must be displayed in a clear and visible manner. A printable poster in various formats is available online here.

The reception capacity must comply with the following ratio:
Floor area in m2 accessible to customers ÷ 20 m2 = Number of customers
Ex. A neighborhood boutique of 100 m2 / 20 m2 = 5 customers

N.B. Employees are not included in the number of persons authorized.

Business operators are responsible for promoting compliance with health instructions inside and outside their establishment.

That is, to take measures aimed at employees and customers, such as:

• Allow 2 m social distancing at all times between people;
• Face covering and eye protection (if needed) for employees;
• Hand washing or the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• Limited access to certain areas and establish customer traffic corridors;
• Assign an employee to manage waiting lines;
• Clean surfaces (handles, carts) and quarantine objects that cannot be disinfected (e.g. clothing)

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The National Institute of Public Health has established a “Hierarchy of Control Measures in the Workplace” which explains all of this  in detail.

This questionnaire aims to screen workers before entering their workplace to exclude those who are symptomatic and who have not had contact with a known case of COVID-19 already followed by public health authorities. COVID-19 Symptom-based Screening Questionnaire

What actions should be taken when someone in the company has been in contact with an confirmed case of COVID-19? The employer and workers must react diligently. Pending the test result, the person must self-isolate and follow the instructions in this information sheet.

Test results are in and your employee is positive? The employer should carry out these 2 actions rapidly:

1. Identify and remove from the workplace all the workers who’ve had close exposure with this person;
2. Clean and disinfect potentially contaminated surfaces and objects.

All of these control measures reduce the risk of an outbreak in the workplace.