PILE SOLUTIONS OILFIELD EQUIPMENT
MANUFACTURER
STRUCTURAL STEEL
FABRICATION
PLASMA CUTTING FIELD SERVICES
1.780.955.0000
www.reliablewelding.com | rmor awski@reliablewelding.com
504-12 Ave., Nisku, AB T9E 7N9
• Excavator mounted mast
• Accommodates any style
of hammer
• Two hydraulic winches
controlled by excavator
Phone: 706-398-1178
www.vulcanhammer.com
Protocol for COVID-19 positive cases
There should be a protocol in place outlining decontamination
procedures in case a worker tests positive, to obtain and
secure information for contact tracing and a plan for shutting
down the site temporarily and reopening it if necessary.
Without these protocols in place, employers might be unprepared
on what to do and workers might cite safety concerns
as justification for not returning to work.
LEGAL
Such protocols could include advising co-workers if a
worker tests positive, securing information for contact tracing
and contact information to inform public health officials
where appropriate, along with guidelines to ensure compliance
with health information privacy laws.
Industry professionals should also consider removing
someone from the workplace even if they have not tested
positive, but are symptomatic.
What to do if found to be in breach of public
health orders
The obligation under OHS legislation to provide reasonable
precautions for workers is not limitless, but this does not
mean that an OHS inspector will readily accept and agree
that a constructor’s or employer’s customized protocol meets
the “every precaution reasonable in the circumstances” standard.
This pandemic situation is new for OHS inspectors as
well, and they may seek to enforce public health orders without
fully understanding or considering what may or may not
be reasonable in the specific circumstance. As such, construction
employers may have grounds to defend a protocol
they have created and challenge a particular OHS regulator’s
interpretation of the public health measures.
If an OHS regulator issues a compliance or stop-work
order for breaching public health orders, industry professionals
can appeal the decision by escalating the matter to an
adjudicative body. In most jurisdictions, the labour relations
board is responsible for hearing such appeals.
All Canadian OHS legislation,
both provincial and
federal, require all industry
professionals to take every
reasonable precaution
for the circumstances
to protect a worker.
PILING CANADA 69
/www.reliablewelding.com
/www.vulcanhammer.com
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