Doug Ford Says Businesses Should Prepare While Ontario Releases New Safety Guidelines

Premier Doug Ford Says Ontario Is About To Reopen The Economy As His Government Released 65 Security Guidelines For Businesses, Including Office Spaces, Restaurants and the automotive industry.

I want businesses to start preparing. Approaching, Ford said on Thursday, adding that health and safety remains a priority.

The Premier has said good news comes when asked about the reopening of garden centers in the province. There is nothing better than going to the garden center, seizing plants, going to the yard and planting flowers, he said. It’s good for mental health.

Sector guidelines include measures such as physical distance, installation of plexiglass barriers, increased air flow and appropriate hygiene practices, including the provision of personal protective equipment. last resort.

Labor Minister Monte McNaughton described the guidelines as best practices that companies should follow and said inspectors will apply measures under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister took a more optimistic tone than he did earlier this week when his government released an economic framework that contained few details and no timetable for reopening businesses. Ford said at the time that Ontario would only begin relaxing the restrictions after the province saw a steady decline in the number of COVID-19 cases for two to four weeks.

Ford said on Thursday that considerable progress had been made, with further cases down. Earlier today, the province reported 459 new cases, an increase of 2.9%. There have been 86 more deaths, the highest total on a day to date.

I have been feeling more positive in the past four or five days, said Ford. I’m focused on the laser right now to open things up as quickly as possible in a safe and measured manner.

Depending on the economic framework, Ontario will begin to reopen with a phased approach, focusing on certain workplaces and outdoor spaces and allowing small gatherings.

The province declared a state of emergency until at least May 12 and closed all non-essential businesses, including bars, restaurant-restaurants, and most industrial construction sites. Parks and recreation centers are also closed, and public schools in the province will remain closed until at least the end of May.

McNaughton said Thursday the province has added 58 new labor inspectors, for a total of around 500, to communicate the directions and enforce safety measures.

David Paterson, Vice President of Corporate and Environmental Affairs at General Motors of Canada, says that while there are no firm plans to reopen two closed plants in Ontario, the company is well positioned to meet the new guidelines for the manufacturing sector. GM maintained an ongoing dialogue with the government on the guidelines, including the need to space employees at least two meters from each other in factories and the need for workers to wear masks.

The company’s Oshawa parts plant remained open during the pandemic, operating at reduced capacity with COVID-19 guidelines already in place, and part of the facility will soon begin manufacturing masks for workers health.

GM’s engine and transmission plant in St. Catharines will likely be the first closed plant to reopen, he said. It closed last month and 1,500 people were temporarily laid off.

The Ingersoll plant, which makes the Chevrolet Equinox and employs 3,000 people, was also temporarily closed last month.

Karl Littler, senior vice-president of public affairs for the Retail Council of Canada, said the new guidelines for the retail sector will make things easier, especially for the big chains operating across the province. In particular, it will be helpful, he says, to have a centralized set of guidelines covering the entire province, compared to the current situation where local municipalities determine the rules.

He added that many of the guidelines announced by the Ontario government on Thursday are already being applied by essential retailers, which continued to operate during the pandemic, such as grocers and pharmacies.

These companies have encouraged customers to use the tap for payment, as opposed to the chip and pin. They also installed anti-sneeze screens between cashiers and customers and placed physical distance markers on the floor for customers awaiting payment.

For the construction industry, the new guidelines, while necessary to protect workers, will invariably slow activity and reduce productivity, said Mark Jones, director of project and program management for Canada at Turner. & Townsend.

And some of the directives will be more difficult to implement than others.

If you have to work six feet apart, there are certain activities that become a little more difficult to do, “he said.” Lift a piece of drywall, for example.

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