In November, Ontario announced the COVID-19 Response Framework, with the primary goal to keep Ontario "safe and open".  

The recent blitz in Hastings Prince Edward from Jan. 20 - 22, showed that more than half of businesses  were not compliant with safety protocols.  The most common infractions included not having a safety plan and exceeding capacity limits.

How to create your safety plan

A safety plan provides a 'documented approach' to what your workplace needs to do and how you are going to do it. The provincial government created a safety plan template that poses six questions.

• How will you ensure all workers know how to keep themselves safe from exposure to COVID-19?
• How will you screen for COVID-19?
• How will you control the risk of transmission in your workplace?
• What will you do if there is a potential case of, or suspected exposure to, COVID-19 at your workplace?
• How will you manage any new risks caused by changes to the way you operate your business?
• How will you make sure your plan is working?

The template is part of a guidance document that includes explanatory information and possible considerations. Your answers to the questions form your plan.

READ MORE, download the template, and access the safety checklist from the Province of Ontario.