1.1 Health and Safety Policy Amendment
As stated in our health and safety policy.
It is the policy of this company that every employee is entitled to work under the safest possible conditions while at work. To this end, every reasonable effort will be made in the interest of accident prevention, fire protection, and health preservation.
Blue Jay Sprinkler Systems Inc., Blue Jay Irrigation Niagara Inc. and Blue Jay Irrigation Group Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Blue Jay Irrigation) will endeavour to maintain a safe and healthful workplace. It will provide safe working equipment, training, and necessary personal protection, and, in the case of injury, the best first aid and medical service available to this company.
Due to current events regarding COVID-19, Blue Jay Irrigation have deemed it necessary to amend our current health and safety procedures and below you will find instructions / measures to limit the spread and protect the public as well as our employees from the virus as we continue to offer our services. If there are any questions or concerns with any of these instructions / measures, please contact a member of the Leadership Team by phone or email. All policy amendments were created on March 26th, 2020 with the current recommendations of the Government of Ontario and the guidelines set forth by the London Middlesex Health Unit. If updated information or guidelines are released after this date, they will be held as our new standard of operation.
Current Revision (2) - April 23, 2020
1.2 Declaration of Essential Service:
Blue Jay Irrigation has reached out for assistance in properly interpreting the list of essential services as directed by the Ontario Government. Including industry leaders, Blue Jay's legal team, andLocal Associations Blue Jay Irrigation is a member of, (i.e. Landscape Ontario), our MPP’s and our local Municipalities for a clear understanding. We have concluded that under term #20. Businesses that provide maintenance, repair and property management services strictly necessary to manage and maintain the safety, security, sanitation and essential operation of institutional, commercial, industrial and residential properties and buildings; and term #30. Residential construction projects where. A footing permit has been granted for single family, semi detached and townhomes, an above grade structural permit has been granted for condominiums, mixed use and other buildings, or the project involves renovations to residential properties and construction work was started before April 4, 2020; Blue Jay Irrigation does fall under the terms for an essential service for both or service work and installation. Our retail store and office do not and will be closed.
1.3 Blue Jay Irrigation Shop and Office Closure:
All buildings where Blue Jay Irrigation operates will continue to be closed off to staff as well as the general public. This means changing areas, coffee services and bathroom facilities will not be accessible to our staff. The normal smoking areas will also be moved and expanded to allow for proper social distancing. At our London site the location will move to the grassed area along Seagull Road and Blue Heron Drive, and in Niagara the front lawn and inside back fenced compound, we ask you stay two meters apart while smoking. Please arrive to work in uniform with everything you require to begin your shift. Inventory and tool items needed for work will need to be requested before starting each shift to allow a leadership team member to pick it and stock it on your van. These changes were created to limit employee contact at the shop to the vehicle which they are assigned. The Leadership Team will be retrieving old files and replacing them with current ones as well as delivering ordered items to each van before the start of the shift each day. Cintas cleaning services will also be on hold. We have access to use the pants, but each employee will be required to launder their individual pants along with uniform tops. All employees are expected to come to work each day in a freshly laundered uniform as per the recommendations of the Health Unit.
1.4 Self Assessment:
Each day employees are required to assess themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and/or whether they have been in close contact with someone who has it. Please use the Middlesex Health Unit Self Assessment Guidelines and online Self Assessment to help determine if you need to seek further care. If you determine you are at risk, it is essential that you do not come to work and begin the recommended isolation period. Pleasenotifyyour immediate supervisoras soon as you determine you are at risk to allow us to contact anyone you may have compromised to ensure the safety of our customers and our staff. If you have to cough/sneeze, please cough/sneeze into your elbow – not your hands. If you are feeling unwell, please stay at home to avoid spreading any illness to other staff and those involved with our projects. See the symptoms chart and guidelines from the Health Unit below.
1.5 Symptoms Chart:
2) Changes to Shift
2.1 Start of Shift:
Each day you will arrive to work with your vehicle keys and a charged tablet. You will automatically be timed in for your regular start time each morning and morning meeting messages will be delivered to you in your schedule package. Questions about your schedule can be discussed with a phone call to your immediate supervisor. Monday safety meetings will be conducted through GoToMeeting starting at the normal time of 7:00. We recommend you arrive and be in your vehicle ready for the meeting to start at 7:00. We have introduced a staggered shift start for service technicians to allow for more social distancing.
2.2 Company Vehicles:
Only those assigned to a vehicle can enter the cab, storage areas, or trailers of that vehicle. There will be no shifting of crew members or vehicles until further notice. Please wipe the sittingareas and all contact points such as steering wheel, door handles, etc. of each vehicle when you return to the shop each day. For install trucks, all team members will be provided with re usable masks to use while riding in the vehicle on the ay to and from the job site. We will not be permitted in the vehicle for coffee runs or lunch.
2.3 Working Distance (Including Breaks):
Please always maintain 2 metres of separation between employees. Contact crew members through text messages or phone and maintain these distances during all breaks. This includes working out of trailers or vans. Only 1 person is permitted to work inside an enclosed trailer or van at a time. The only time more than one person will be inside a vehicle is under transport.
2.4 Breaks:
Please sit at least 2 metres away from other employees during all breaks. To limit the need for transportation and limit exposure during the day please bring your own lunch, water supply and any snacksneededfor each day. Crew water jugs will not be available until further notice. Please try to use bathrooms on your break or at lunch where possible and drive alone if needed to the nearest washroom you feel comfortable using. Be certain to wash your hands before exiting the bathroom and sanitize before entering the vehicle.
2.5 Customer Contact:
Blue Jay Irrigation will require that our customers be home for each visit to assist our technicians with water turn on/off, and if needed assist with conventional controllers in basements. This will allow technicians to avoid entering private dwellings while performing all required work from outside. Systems without outside water shut off will be strongly encouraged to install a plastic ball valve on the main line at the start up to allow our technicians to troubleshoot valves and leaks from the outside. Under no circumstances will any employee be required to enter a private dwelling they do not feel is safe and furthermore, Team Members will be prohibited from entering a residence of a customer displaying any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 (please refer to symptoms chart).
2.6 End of Shift:
At the end of each scheduled day a "shop time" call will be added which you will time into when you get back to the shop. This call will be used to submit a parts order via text or email; and will allow you to make sure all paperwork is completed and, in your file, along with receipts and anything else that needs to be submitted to the office. When you are done, you will time out of your shop time call, web sync, and this time will be used as your end time for your shift. Vehicle keys,cell phones and tablets are to be taken home and will be under the care of the assigned employee. To prevent theft, damage, and/or lost goodsthese items are not to be stored in your vehicle.
2.7 Tools and Equipment
All tools and equipment will be single user only, do not share tools especially between vehicles or the operations of equipment throughout the day. Tools will need to return to and remain in the fit kits they came from to avoid contamination. All hand tools and equipment will be wiped down at the end of shift each day.
2.8 Bathroom Accessibility
We have purchased camping toilettes for emergency use as well as provided portablewashrooms at the shop for use. Each portable washroom will have a maximum of 4 technicians assigned to it for use. Do not use one you are not assigned to.
3) Personal Protection Measures
3.1 Hand Protection:
All employees will be required to wear gloves while working. Both work glove and plastic gloves will be provided by Blue Jay Irrigation for use. All employees MUSTsanitize handsEVERY TIME gloves are taken off, please follow the glove removal technique pictured blow to prevent contamination during removal. Each vehicle will be provided with waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer and Lysol spray and wipes for controllers, doorknobs,and vehicles. Hand cream will also be available to help combat the damage of the sanitizer and multiple hand washings.
3.2 Proper method for Glove Removal:
3.3 Hand Washing Techniques
3.4 Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Blue Jay Irrigation will supply plastic gloves, work gloves, antiseptic spray with wipes,soapand a limited supply of face masks. Taps outside the building will be available to wash your hands at the end of each shift with the supplied soap. The above additional supplied PPE is for work use only and is single user only. Do not share PPE. Discard disposable items after each use and launder/sanitize reusable items each day.
3.3 London Health Unit Guidelines to prevent the spread
3.5 Pandemic Training:
Worksite Safety Compliance Center is offering a short online course on pandemic awareness. It covers all the basics from spread to prevention, and includes treatment. Blue Jay Irrigation will require every employee to take this short course so we can be unified with our knowledge regarding the current pandemic. Follow the link below to take the course and please send your certificate of completion to a Leadership Team Member.
https://worksitesafety.ca/product/training/online/coronavirus-covid-19/
3.4 Additional Policy Amendments:
If you have any ideas to help improve this policy, please contact the Leadership Team by phone or email and make your suggestions. Our workplace has vastly improved over the years due to the efforts and input from our Team Members.
3.5 Right to Refuse Work:
This is a reminder that all employees can refuse work where they have reasonable grounds to believe they could become infected. Workers should first raise concerns with their immediate supervisor and explore how to limit the risk. If the response does not mitigate the risk, as an employee you can refuse to work. Each situation must be responded to individually. Accommodations will be made for workers who fear exposure due to living with elderly or vulnerable family members.
Statement Appendix:
Link to Ontario Governments list of essential services:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/list-essential-workplaces#section-10
