COVID -19 Policy & Practice
All employees should ensure they understand and comply with the infection prevention policies and practices in their workplace.
If you have any suggestions that may improve the health and safety of our sites and offices, please email them to safety@sandpiper.bc.ca
Any concerns you may have can also be sent to safety@sandpiper.bc.ca , all emails are private and confidential.
Keep your hands clean
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel or wipes
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Cough or sneeze into the bend of your arm
- Avoid touching surfaces people touch often
- Instead of a handshake, give a friendly wave
- Use any necessary personal protective equipment, as directed.
Keep your environment clean
- Use appropriate products to clean and disinfect items. Any tools or equipment, that is used by multiple personnel, should be wiped down as often as possible and more often if they are visibly soiled.
- Wipe down the cab of equipment used by multiple people. Try to limit jumping from machine to machine.
- If they can withstand the use of liquids for disinfection, frequently touched electronics such as phones, computers and other devices may be disinfected with 70% alcohol (e.g. alcohol prep wipes).
Keep your distance
- Practice social distancing!
- Keep 2 metres between you, your coworkers, clients and inspectors.
- Maintain 2 metre distance between desks, tables and workstations.
- Onsite, limit 1 pipelayer in a cage at a time
- If you encounter any activities that require close physical proximity or contact with other people, discuss with your supervisor possible scenarios for completing the task with out physical proximity
- If close proximity is required, limit contact to the shortest time possible.
If you have a symptom of COVID-19
- If you think you might have COVID-19, communicate this to your supervisor immediately.
- Use the self-assessment tool to find out what to do. https://covid19.thrive.health/
- It is critical that, if you have one symptom of COVID-19 (fever, cough or difficulty breathing), or even mild symptoms, you should stay home to avoid spreading illness to others.
- If you develop even mild symptoms while at your workplace, separate yourself from others and go home, avoiding use of public transit (e.g. buses, train, taxi) if possible.
- Contact your local Public Health Authority and follow their advice.
- If you are concerned about your financial stability during this time, the Government of Canada is providing assistance.
Keep the lines of communication open!
What We at Sandpiper are doing
Increased communication with staff and clients about how COVID-19 is affecting our workplace is crucial. We need to ensure that the measures we are taking for prevention, are not only practical and effective, but include everyone.
We have posted signs in the office and on the job sites, encouraging good respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene, and other healthy practices. Also, reminders to all employees, clients or customers who are ill, to stay away from the workplace.
Any employee returning from any travel outside Canada, must self-isolate for 14 days.
Any employee who is ill may have to self-isolate for 14 days. Please discuss with you supervisor.
In the office we have implemented the following…
- Wipe down procedures every 2 – 3 hours include door handles, copiers, common surfaces, etc.
- Mail and delivery drop off moved to outside the building
- Social distancing at all times
- Limited access of warehouse and other staff to the office area
- Limited access to stationary items to reduce possible contamination
- Reducing the handling of paperwork, especially paper coming from outside of the office ie: truck slips
- Use teleconferencing, as opposed to physical meetings
Wash your hands often!
On the job-site we have implemented the following…
- Daily tail-gate meetings to update staff of this every changing situation. Including daily reminders to maintain social distancing and hand cleaning requirements
- All employees are provided with gloves, and reminded not to touch their face
- Each crew has been provided with cleaning solution to wipe down shared tools, truck cabs and heavy equipment cabs.
- Soap and water hand washing stations have been set up to provide an alternative to hand sanitizer.
- Where feasible, procedures are being adjusted to reduce social contact ie: 1 person only in the cage when laying pipe
- Employees have been asked not to share rides as this violates social distancing protocol.
- Have lunch together but do it from a distance.
Use your personal protective equipment!
We are also working to maintain the necessary facilities and cleaning products needed to provide a clean and safe workplace. We currently have a supply of toilet paper, sanitizer and cleaning solution to ensure our staff, both in and out of the office, have what they need.
NOTE!
It is the expectation that all employees continue to follow all
Sandpiper Contracting – Health & Safety Practices and Procedures.
Non-Work related travel
- Non-essential travel should not occur at this time.
- Consider the risks and benefits related to any upcoming essential travel and evaluate other options, such as postponing, cancelling or participating virtually.
- Check the latest information on affected areas and any travel health notices.
- When you return from any travel outside Canada, you must self-isolate for 14 days.
- When you return from travel within Canada, monitor yourself for symptoms, such as a cough, fever or difficulty breathing for 14 days.
- If you develop even mild symptoms, such as cough, fever or difficulty breathing, report to your supervisor immediately. They will provide you the next course of action and contact your Local Public Health Authority for further instructions.
Because this crisis is still evolving, please visit the government of Canadas website at:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
Here’s a note from ICBA (Independent Contractors and Businesses Association)
“A new coronavirus is the cause of an outbreak of respiratory infections, now known as COVID-19. The number of cases worldwide is changing quickly. B.C. has confirmed cases of coronavirus and has declared a State of Emergency; however, the risk to Canadians continues to be low, as we employ social distance tactics. The risk to construction workers is also low, due to general good health of the workforce, working conditions and safety equipment such as work gloves. However, all British Columbians should be aware of the virus and how to prevent its spread”
Stay Safe! Be Kind!
Rino DiNicolo
Sandpiper Contracting LLP
