[INACTIVE] COVID Safety Plan

WorkBC

Reopening Plan

Tourism Powell River – May 19, 2020 Revised July 22, 2020

PREPARED BY: TRACEY ELLIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – TOURISM POWELL RIVER

Introduction

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Powell River Visitor Centre closed to the public on March 20, 2020. The following is our reopening plan in regards to workplace safety. We anticipate opening June 1, 2020. Hours open to the public to be determined but the Visitor Centre will be staffed from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday for the time being.

Considerations

At the Powell River Visitor Centre we are frontline workers with exposure to potential sources of Covid-19 infection as we are often the first stop visitors make when visiting our community. This means locals, British Columbians, Canadians, Americans and International Visitors all mix and mingle in our visitor centre on any given day during the busy visitor season. We anticipate the measures taken by the Province of BC to date and the very nature of the Covid-19 outbreak will limit people’s desire and means to travel. But by the number of telephone, Facebook and live chat enquiries we experienced during the Visitor Centre shutdown, we anticipate visitors will return in the near future. We will be prepared to conduct services for these visitors with the best safety measures in place. As we will have at least 4 visitor centre staff this summer season, it is important that they receive an in-depth talk on workplace safety over and above our usual safety-in-the-workplace meeting.

The following are the steps we are undertaking to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace aka. The Visitor Centre:

• Make sure workspaces are clean and hygienic – step up our cleaning services to weekly by our usual cleaner. With additional instructions provided.

• Staff will also clean and disinfect surfaces during the day paying special attention to doors and countertops along with telephones and keyboards that are touched frequently by staff and visitors.

PREPARED BY: TRACEY ELLIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – TOURISM POWELL RIVER

• Promote regular and thorough hand washing by employees, contractors and customers: staff to receive a hand washing demonstration using the 20-second rule and proper technique; all visitors must wash their hands in our bathroom (where a poster is posted on proper technique) or use our alcohol hand sanitizing station. Anyone refusing to do so will be asked to leave immediately. Staff will be trained on how to ask for compliance without offending. As well as instruction on when to ask for supervisor intervention.

• There will be weekly briefings reminding staff of safety procedures around Covid-19. The front bathroom will be for visitors only; all staff will use the back bathroom which will be staff only.

• Effective July 22, 2020 all visitors who enter the visitor centre in addition to using hand sanitizer or washing their hands MUST wear a mask. Staff who attend to visitors MUST wear a mask.

• We will promote respiratory hygiene with sneeze guards in place at service counters and masks available for staff who need to step out from behind the counter/sneeze guard to serve visitors. Tissues will be available to staff and visitors to capture a sneeze with bins for disposal.

• Staff who are unwell will be staying home. We will provide work to do from home if a 14 day quarantine is needed due to possible exposure or after travel. Actual illness will be regarded as sick leave. Work period extensions may be offered for summer youth hires who fall ill or who are forced into quarantine through workplace exposure to Covid-19.

• Posters will alert the public before entry to the measures and expectations in regards to safety and Covid-19.

• Workspaces are distanced well – further than 2 metres and provided with sneeze guards. Staff will be encouraged to take lunch at our outdoor picnic table in the fresh air and sunshine and to stay 2 metres apart at all times.

• Visitor Services will be available from our outdoor kiosk (aka the Boler) which will be open daily and manned in 2-hour shifts.

• All staff meetings will see staff spaced 2 metres apart in a well ventilated room and/ or outside.

• Staff will be provided safety information orally and in writing on Covid-19 including ways to say hello to each other and visitors without touching; regular hand washing and technique; covering face with tissue provided when sneezing or into elbow, then wash hands; how and when to contact their supervisor if concerned about Covid-19 in the workplace.

PREPARED BY: TRACEY ELLIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – TOURISM POWELL RIVER

• Virtual sign-in on our website with contact info for visitors in the event that they become exposed to staff who may be ill with Covid-19 so contact tracing can be done (optional).

•This plan will be posted for staff to review at their leisure.

•The workplace has been reconfigured to keep optimal distance between employees and visitors. All brochures and guides access have been blocked to discourage picking up and return of brochures; all materials must be handed off to visitors by staff.

• The visiting public will be encouraged to limit their number inside to 3 and to utilize our outdoor services. Wifi will be available from the picnic table outside. Morning and afternoon spray down of the picnic table with lysol spray will be done daily.

• All water for visitors must be dispensed by staff – the location has been changed to facilitate this.

• The public-access kiosk (Lenovo) will not be available to the public this summer due to contamination concerns (touch screen).
This will become a staff computer this
summer.

• We will continue to provide and promote remote service to visitors through telephone, email, live chat, Facebook and messenger.

• Surgical gloves are available for any desired/required uses.

• This plan will be updated as required with changes or additions.

PREPARED BY: TRACEY ELLIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – TOURISM POWELL RIVER