COVID-19 Safety Plan

Statement of Purpose

Pures College of Technology (hereinafter called the ‘‘Company”) is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, clients and visitors. A combination of measures will be used to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in our workplace. Our Safety Plan will protect not only our own employees, but also others who enter our premises. All employees must follow the procedures outlined in this plan to prevent or reduce exposure to COVID-19.

Development of the Safety Plan

Pures College of Technology’s Safety Plan has been developed based on guidance published by Ministry of Health, the Ontario “Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace” and Toronto “COVID-19: Orders, Directives & Bylaws” and Toronto “COVID-19 Guidance for Post-Secondary Institutions”.

This is a living document and will be reviewed and revised as needed. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve our processes please provide your suggestion to Human Resources.

Responsibilities of Workplace Parties

Employer responsibilities

Our Company will:

• Ensure that the materials (for example, masks, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies) and other resources required to implement and maintain the plan are readily available where and when they are required.
• Select, implement, and document the appropriate site-specific control measures.
• Ensure that Employees are educated and trained to an acceptable level of competency.
• Ensure that Employees use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) — for example, masks if required.
• Conduct a periodic review of the plan’s effectiveness. This includes a review of the available control technologies to ensure that these are selected and used when practical.
• Maintain records of training and inspections.
• Ensure that a copy of this Safety Plan is available to all employees.

Supervisor responsibilities

Our supervisors will:

• Ensure that employees are adequately instructed on the controls for the hazards at the location.
• Ensure that employees use personal protective equipment as required.
• Direct work in a manner that eliminates or minimizes the risk to employees.

Employees responsibilities

Employees will:

• Know the hazards of the workplace.
• Follow established work procedures as directed by the employer or supervisor.
• Use any required PPE as instructed.
• Report any unsafe conditions or acts to their supervisor.
• Know how and when to report exposure incidents.

General Safety Protocols

Hand washing

Hand washing is one of the best ways to minimize the risk of infection. Proper hand washing helps prevent the transfer of infectious material from the hands to other parts of the body — particularly the eyes, nose, and mouth — or to other surfaces that are touched.

Wash your hands immediately:

• Before leaving a work area
• After handling materials that may be contaminated
• Before eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses, or applying makeup

Hand washing procedure:

Use soap and warm running water. (It doesn’t have to be hot to do the job.) If water is unavailable, use a waterless hand cleanser that has at least 60% alcohol. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use the cleanser. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer and wipes are provided by the Company.

Cough/sneeze etiquette

Employees are expected to follow cough/sneeze etiquette, which is a combination of measures that minimizes the transmission of diseases via droplet or airborne routes. Cough/sneeze etiquette includes the following components:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a sleeve or tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Use tissues to contain secretions, and dispose of them promptly in a waste container.
• Turn your head away from others when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands regularly.

Screening

• Use the COVID-19 Staff Screening Questionnaire to screen all individuals who perform work, including employees, workers, volunteers, contractors, etc., before they enter the workplace
• Ensure all employees know to stay home if they have COVID-19 symptoms that are new, getting worse or unexplained
• Ensure all employees know who their supervisor/manager is and how to get in touch with them in case they need to stay home/go home

Physical distancing

Together, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 by making a conscious effort to keep a physical distance between each other. Social distancing is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of illness during an outbreak.

To appropriately meet social distance requirements, employees should keep a distance of at least 2 metres from others, as much as possible.

Other physical distancing measures that should also be followed include:

• Avoiding crowded places and cancel gatherings (e.g., in-person meetings and assemblies).
• Avoiding common greetings, such as handshakes.
• No sharing of foods or drinks

Use of masks or face covering

A mask is a protective barrier that is worn on the face, covers at least the nose and mouth, and is used to contain large droplets generated during coughing and sneezing by the person using the mask. Masks help minimize the spread of potentially infected material from the wearer to other people.

Wearing a mask or face covering will be required in indoor public spaces beginning July 7, 2020 under City of Toronto By Law 541-2020 and O.Reg. 364/20. The mask or face covering should cover your nose, mouth and chin, without gapping. Wearing a mask or face covering is an additional measure we can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep each other safe. This means that, all clients or visitors entering an indoor premise are required to wear a mask or face covering while inside.

What to do if you have COVID-19 symptoms

a. Developing Symptoms

If an employee develops symptoms of COVID-19 while at the office, they must immediately don a mask, notify the Human Resources and return home.

If an employee develops symptoms after having been at work, they must immediately notify the Human Resources and remain at home.

Human Resources will interview the Employees to determine what interactions, if any, they may have had with others in the workplace, where in the workplace they had been working and what workplace items, tools or equipment they used or had contact with when at work (e.g. door handles, photocopiers, computers, office phones, etc.). The Employees will be advised that those employees will be told they may have been exposed, but the name of the Employees will not be disclosed unless absolutely necessary.

If applicable, the Human Resources will notify those other employees identified by the reporting Employees that they may have had an exposure to COVID-19 and that they should look for medical advice. The reporting Employees will be advised when these conversations have taken place and will be told what information was provided. Disclosures should be minimized to information necessary to address risk.

The Company will ensure that the reporting employee’s workspace, other places in the workplace they may have attended, and any other workplace items, tools or equipment they used or had contact with when at work are promptly cleaned and disinfected.

b. Contacting Public Health for Testing

Employees who develop symptoms of COVID-19 recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Health must immediately contact public health or their physician for advice on being tested.

If advised to submit to a test, Employees must do so and report their situation to the Human Resources.

c. Self-Isolation at Home

If the Employees is tested, they must self-isolate at home until the results of the test are known. If the test results come back negative, the Employees must seek medical advice on when they may return to the Office.

If a test is either not available or not recommended, the Employees must self-isolate at home until their symptoms are completely resolved. Self-isolating individuals should call public health at 1-877-543-8931 or their personal physician for medical advice and for advice on when they are fit to safely return to work.

Employees who live in the same household as a person with confirmed or clinical COVID-19 symptoms who is self-isolating must self-isolate and not return to work until cleared to do so by the public health officials.

Employees returning to Ontario from outside Canada must self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their return. Returning travelers who develop COVID-19 symptoms during the period of self- isolation are required to self-isolate for a further period of 10 days after the onset of symptoms, or until symptoms resolve, whichever is later.

Employees who are self-isolating should stay in regular contact with the Human Resources regarding the ongoing status of their condition.

d. Returning to Work After Self-Isolation

Employees who are self-isolating are not to return to work until

1. they are cleared to do so by public health officials
2. they have notified the Human Resources that they have received the required clearance, and
3. the Company has approved their return to work

Limits on Number of Employees in the Office

The Company will limit the number of people who are attending each floor of the office at any given time in accordance with public health guidance.

Scheduling Your Attendance at the Office

In order to avoid too many Employees attending the office at once, Employees will be scheduled their attendance in the office in advance.

Building Access/Elevator Use

• All persons using office elevators must wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose.
• Try to use a key, a tissue paper or wear gloves to press elevator buttons.
• Comply with 2 people occupancy limits on elevators.

Office Operation and Logistics

• Please keep moving in the hallways to avoid blocking the way for others.
• Keep a physical distance of two metres when speaking to colleagues and do not congregate where others may need to pass by. Communicate by telephone, email or other electronic means if space does not permit physical distancing.

Shared Equipment

• Shared equipment such as printers must be disinfected after each use.
• Hands must be washed or sanitized after using shared items.

Cleaning

• There will be increased cleaning of high touch surfaces throughout the day.
• The building management will clean building common area with disinfecting cleaners a few times a day.
• Employees are required to clean and disinfect workspace frequently.

Washrooms

• Physical distancing and wearing a mask is required when using the washroom.
• Although the landlord will be responsible to clean the washroom often, all employees are required to maintain the cleanliness of the washroom for yourself and others. The things you can do include –

1. 1. Please refrain from using excessive amounts of toilet paper to avoid blocking the drains.
   2. All sanitary items including wrappers, are to be placed in the sanitary units provided. Sanitary products and their paper/plastic wrappings are NOT to be flushed down the toilet.
   3. Please check if you have flushed the toilet properly.
   4. If you leave a mess in the toilet and cannot flush it, please contact the property manager Jordan to clean it.
   5. Do not leave the paper towel on the hand wash station or the floor.
   6. Wash your hands properly.

Water fountains and bottle filling stations

• They are cleaned and disinfected twice per day, or more often, if needed.
• Fill water bottles rather than drinking directly from the mouthpiece of water fountains
• Post signs near water fountains emphasizing public health measures

Employee Kitchen

• Maximum of two people in the kitchen at a time.
• Upon entering, please wash your hands.
• After you have finished, wipe down surfaces you touched with disinfectant or soapy water using paper towel and then wash your hands again before leaving.
• Please eat lunch at your desk.

Travel

• Employees must follow all public health directions concerning personal or business-related travel.
• Travel for business should be minimized and should be undertaken only where “essential”. Considerations for whether travel is essential include:
  • • does it have to happen?
    • can it be done virtually?
    • can the employee drive instead of fly?
• Any Employees who has travelled outside Ontario or who has travelled within Ontario by air must advise the HR for contact tracing purposes.

Clients and Visitors

• Clients and other visitors should only attend the office under exceptional circumstances and only with the prior approval of the Company.
• Clients and other visitors should be advised to wear masks to enter the building.
• Non-essential visitors are not be permitted to enter the campus.
• All visitors visiting the Pures College campus must:
  • Provide proof of vaccination to the College to cvr.submission@purescollege.ca 48 to 24 hours prior to visiting. The visitor will receive a confirmation email of either approval or denial to visit, and instructions on how to visit the campus.
    • • Proof of Vaccinations include:
        • • Receipt from issuing vaccination clinic or pharmacy
          • Electronic vaccine receipt issued by the Government of Ontario or another Province – if you received your vaccination in Ontario, you can find your documentation at ontariohealth.ca – you will need your green health care that is NOT expired
          • Record of each dose of your vaccination, such as a receipt, card, or confirmation from an international organization in English, or with a certified English translation
  • Answer the screening questionnaire right before each visit and receive a positive temperature- check result.
  • Follow protocols for facial covering, hand-sanitizing and social distancing outlined in this plan during the visit.
  • If visitors have issues or questions, they should contact ask@pures.ca.

Record Keeping

Human Resources will keep relevant records such as records of attendance at the office, remote work, symptom free confirmations, reported symptoms, self-isolation, sick leave etc. Privacy obligations will be respected concerning this information.

Review

This Safety Plan will be reviewed regularly.

Published: September 16, 2021