'Our government will not compromise on workers' health and safety'
Quebec is launching a virtual toolkit that can help and support employers and workers in complying with the sanitary instructions issued by the public health authorities as the province prepares to reopen certain economic sectors.
The toolkit was developed by the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) together with the public health authorities to respond to the concerns of the different work environments about measures to be implemented to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
"I invite all employers to get to know these tools and use them,” says Jean Boulet, minister of labour, employment and social solidarity and minister responsible for the Mauricie region. “Our government will not compromise on workers' health and safety. I'm counting on you to follow the public health standards.”
The toolkit includes a Workplace Sanitary Standards Guide – COVID-19, two practical sector guides for manufacturing and retail, and quick references that employers can print and customize around:
- the reopening of the work environment
- physical distancing
- hygiene and respiratory etiquette
- environmental sanitation
- exclusion from the workplace and isolation of workers
- psychosocial risks in the workplace
The toolkit will also be available as a mobile app and follows the CNESST awareness campaign “Quebec is going back to work safely,” launched on April 20.
In Ontario, Unifor called on the government to consult with workers before proceeding with plans to reopen the province's economy.
Several companies are developing different tools as employers are starting to think about what the recovery and return to the workplace will look like once after the pandemic subsides.
