COVID-19 Policy

This COVID-19 policy has been developed to ensure the safety of all employees, visitors and customers while working or visiting Westeck Manufacturing plants, Showrooms, or out in the Field. This document will provide guidance to specific guidelines that must be used.

COVID-19 spreads through the direct contact with the respiratory droplets of someone who is infected with the virus through their cough or sneeze. These droplets can spread up to two metres/six feet. It may be possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

Protective Measures to Keep Everyone Safe:

Keep two metres/six-foot distance from others.
Clean your hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based (70%) hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands.
Stay home when you are sick.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
A face mask or covering must be used if you are unable to maintain two metres/six-foot distance from others.
Avoid non-essential trips in the community.
Employees should clean their hands after using the punch clocks. There will be hand sanitization stations located by each punch clock.

Cleaning Requirements: In order to eliminate the spread of the virus, we need to ensure we have set guidelines for cleaning populated areas throughout the organization. Westeck will supply cleaning material, for the offices, plant floors, showrooms, and field vehicles.

Any cleaning material used should be rated to kill bacteria and viruses.
Photocopiers are being used by multiple employees throughout the day, so each photocopier will be supplied with a cleaning station. Employees are required to clean the areas they touch upon completing any work with the photocopier.
If you are using disposable cloths, only use them once and throw them in a proper disposable container. Re-usable cloths should be only used once per cleaning cycle and then washed and cleaned prior to use again.
The manufacturing plants will ensure that high volume touch areas are cleaned at least twice a day. For instance door handles, handrails, chairs, tables, punch clock.
Showrooms will ensure that high volume touch areas are cleaned at least twice a day, and after customer visits.
The plant offices will ensure that high volume touch areas are cleaned twice a day, and after any outside visitors.
Any product we work on or handle must be disinfected, when ever the home we are working on is being lived in.
Company delivery vehicles will need to be cleaned twice a day if more than one employee is in the vehicle, otherwise at the end of each shift.
Any tools that are shared between employees, needs to be cleaned after the transition between other employees. This could include chop saws, welder, drills, paint guns or hand tools.
Any product we work on or handle must be disinfected, when ever the home we are working on is being lived in.

Physical Distancing: In order to eliminate the spread of the virus, we have to ensure that we practice Physical Distancing. This means we must remind each other to maintain a distance of 2 meters/ 6 feet from our co-workers/ visitors or customers.

Westeck will be marking one person zones throughout the plant, with yellow tape. Any areas that have been marked out, must only have on employee in that zone. If this cannot be accomplished due to the work required. Then a mask must be worn while the zone is occupied by more than one person.
If it is required or manageable, showrooms should review possible 6-foot zones and directional pedestrian flow for employees and visitors.
The paint prep table on the mezzanine will be supplied with a plexi-glass to ensure protection for employees.
Any employees required to ride in the same vehicle side by side, will be required to wear masks.
Project Coordinators or Service teams must wear a mask when they are within 6 feet of their co-workers or other contractors. If a service rep has to visit a home where the house is being occupied, then they are required to wear a mask at all times.
Customers will be required to move any possible furniture and breakables away from the work area.
Ask them if they can stay out of the same room while work is being completed.
Have them sign documentation with their own pen.
Some employees may be required to work from home in order to help maintain Physical Distancing.

Attendance: As per the attendance policy, employees are required to contact Westeck if they will not be attending work. If it relates to Covid-19, please contact your Human Resources Department between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM for further instructions.

Employees are asked to stay at home if their showing signs of illness.
Employees showing symptoms of Covid-19 should call the family physician or 811, who will give them direction on the next steps they need to take.
Employees showing symptoms will be asked to not return for 14 days from when they started self -isolating or 10 days have passed since their symptoms started and your fever or symptoms have dissipated without the use of medication.
Coughing may go on for several weeks, which means that the virus cannot be passed on or that you must continue to self-isolate.
Any employee that has returned form outside of Canada will be required to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to work.
Any employee that may have come in contact with someone who has attracted the Covid-19, will be required to self-isolate prior to returning to work. The self-isolation will be for 14 days or confirmation through testing that the person who was in contact with has been confirmed negative for the virus.
Please follow the BC daily self monitoring form for Covid-19, contact your doctor, or call 811 if symptoms become worse or you have questions on when to stop self monitoring.

Pre-work Assessments: In order to ensure the health and well being of all Westeck employee where there’s groups of over 10 employees, we will be implementing pre-work assessments.

We are asking all staff to complete a health screening questionnaire for Covid-19 and have their temperature taken before each work shift.
Employees who suffer from allergies, are required to assess their symptoms to ensure that the symptoms are similar to conditions they have had in the past and are not showing signs of a fever. Any symptoms outside of their regular condition, the employee will need to self-isolate.
All employees will have their temperature assessed and participate in the health screening prior to the beginning of each shift. The assessment will be conducted using a handheld digital thermometer and questionnaire, this will be conducted by either a JHSC worker representative or first aid attendant. A schedule will be setup to determine who is responsible for each day of the week.
PPE requirements for those performing the temperature assessments, will require a mask, face shield and gloves. Upon completion of the assessment, gloves and face mask will be disposed into the garbage, face shields will be disinfected and placed in the receiving office.
Any employee showing signs of a temperature above 100.4, will be re-evaluated using the screening questionnaire and given direction on what steps they need to take and asked to go home.
Ensure the employee is capable of going home on their own accord.

Covid-19 Preventative Kits: The following departments will maintain a preventive kit with the following items:

Plants:

Either disposable or reusable masks.
Gloves.
Disinfectant.
Cleaning rags or disposable towelettes.
Handheld thermometer scanners.
Hand Sanitizers.

Showrooms:

100 disposable masks.
50 pairs of disposable gloves.
Disinfectant that works for both bacteria and viruses.
Either disposable towelettes or washable rags.
Hand sanitizers.

Service vehicles and delivery vehicles:

50 disposable masks.
50 pairs of disposable gloves.
Disinfectant that works for both bacteria and viruses.
Disposable towelettes.
Hand sanitizers.
All supply’s will be refilled from the Chilliwack office, please allow at least 1 weeks notice for supplies.

Calling back employee who have been working from home: As we are all aware, there is a fair number of employees who have been performing their duties from home. If it is deemed that any of those employees are required to return to work, then a risk assessment must be conducted in order to ensure that safety protocols can be put into place prior to their return. Request for employees returning to work should be approved by Cody Klassen or Will Tait.

Postings: The following postings need to be posted throughout the showrooms and plants:

Hand Hygiene.
How to wear a face mask.
Physical Distancing.
Self Monitoring forms for employees who may request them.

Visitors: Westeck will take steps to ensure that any visitors or contractors coming on site are pre-screened prior to entering areas of the office or the plants. The following steps must be taken prior to access into the building.

Report to reception.
Have the pre-screen form filled out by the receptionist.
Have their temperature taken.
No delivery drivers are to use the washrooms unless they have been pre-screened prior to use.
People who are excluded from these requirements, will be quick drop of deliveries to either shipping or reception.