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NEW Quick Facts from the Province of Ontario
- To help businesses understand how to use health and safety guidance to develop a safety plan for their unique situation, the government has developed a toolkit that includes a guide, template and checklist.
- The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development has developed more than 200 business guidance documents. This includes factsheets, guides, posters and multilingual tip sheets for supervisors and employers.
- Corporations can be fined $1,000 for failing to comply with the orders under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19)Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Individuals, including employees and patrons, can also be fined $750 for failing to comply with orders under the Acts.
- For more serious offences, a person can be charged under Part III of the Provincial Offences Act. If convicted, the court can impose fines as high as $100,000 for individuals, and up to up to $500,000 for directors and officers of a corporation. Both could also receive terms of imprisonment of up to one year.
- Financial supports for businesses include the Workplace Safety Insurance Board’s Health and Safety Excellence Program, which offer rebates to safe employers. The Ontario government offers other supports for businesses, including the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, rebates for PPE, property tax and energy bills.
Covid-19 and Mental Health
Covid-19 Information
Standard Practices for Office Spaces (employees / volunteers) – Covid-19 (updatedMarch 13, 2020 10:00am)
Each Individual is accountable for the cleanliness and dis-infection of their personal work spaces and work tools (desks, screens, shelves and any personal touch items).
Communication/reminders of the need for increased frequency of dis-infection during periods with a higher probability of the spread of disease is recommended.
- Staplers and tape dispensers - use of sanitizer wipes to clean all surface areas of the stapler and tape dispensers: top, bottom, and sides.
- Keyboards – if keyboards have painted letters, sanitizer wipes may erode print. Canned air is most useful for removing crumbs, debris between keys. Use a wet a paper towel with water and a small dab of soap and lightly clean any dirty areas. Mist the keyboard with sanitizer aerosol and let dry completely.
- Computer mouse - safe to be wiped down with a sanitizer cloth.
- Phones and headsets - saliva regularly splatters off of our lips as we speak, getting spittle in the mouth piece of our headsets. Headsets should be cleaned sanitizer wipes. Also, carefully test to see if either end of the headset can be removed for more thorough cleaning and clean with the use of compressed air. If not, these headsets should ideally be replaced yearly, if not every six months. These pieces can all be cleaned with sanitizer wipes and compressed air. When cleaning the phone, use the same precautions you take with your keyboard as the numbers and lettering are often painted on. Use a slightly damp wash cloth with minimal hand soap and wipe down any place with grime. Spray with aerosol and let air dry completely. Compressed air can be used around the buttons as well, to help keep buttons from sticking.
- Pencils and pens - are best cleaned by wiping them down with sanitizer wipes individually since they are held and pass through many hands.
- Chairs - many office chairs have arms which we touch with our hands as we sit, stand, or drum during idle time. Someone may come into your work space and borrow your chair to use your computer or to sit and chat with a co-worker. Chairs in the office should be cleaned weekly. Simply wipe down with antibacterial wipes.
- Refreshment spaces - the common used snack and refreshment areas carry contamination risks. There may be a separate room or a cabinet and drawer area where snacks or beverages are stored. Wipe these spaces down with sanitizer wipes, including your coffee pot, water jugs, nozzles, canisters and door pulls. Don’t use aerosol in these areas, as the chemicals may contaminate food and beverage containers.
- Fidget toys – should be cleaned often. Depending on the item, they can be washed down with a Sani-wipe, or may need careful cleaning with a gentle cleanser like soap and water.
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