Resources for Safely Resuming Operations

Last updated: July 17, 2020. For the most up-to-date information, see our Government Resources page.

Learn about the provincial information and resources available for workers and business owners in British Columbia to safely resume operations during COVID-19. 

Information on this page is summarized from WorksafeBC, the BC Centre for Disease Control, Fraser Health Authority, and the Government of Canada.

I’m a business owner. What should I know?

In accordance with the Government of BC and WorksafeBC, businesses reopening in BC must develop a COVID-19 Safety Plan that outlines the policies, guidelines, and procedures they have put in place to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, it is important to stay informed and updated about Public Health Orders, as well as industry specific health and safety guidelines.

To learn more about BC’s Reopening Plan and the 4 steps to BC’s reopening, see our page here.

What do I need to know in my industry?

Find industry-specific safety protocols and printable resources from provincial and federal government authorities. All resources are in English unless a translation is noted.

Food Businesses

Last updated: June 17, 2020.

• Food Retail (see also: Retail).
  • COVID-19 Information for Food businesses (grocery stores, restaurants).
  • Guidance to retail food and grocery stores.
• Food Processing (see also: Meat processing).
  • Guideline for Food Processing Facilities.
  • COVID-19 Checklist for Food Processing Facilities to Protect Workers from Illness.
• Restaurants, cafes, and pubs.
  • Navigating COVID-19: Updates and resources for foodservice operators.

Retail & Small Businesses

• Retail
• Small business
  • Business Continuity & Covid-19: Key Considerations For Small Businesses In B.C.
  • BC Business COVID-19 Support Service.

Personal / Health Services

• Personal services (hair salons, nail salons, aestheticians).
• Gyms and fitness centres.
• Health professions.
• Health care.
• In-person counselling.

Professional Services

• Offices
• Real estate.

Arts & Education

• Arts and culture (museums, art galleries, libraries, and movie theatres).
• Child care and day camps.
• Education (K-12)
• Motion picture and television production.

Hospitality, Tourism & Transportation

• Accommodation
• Hospitality
  • COVID-19 Tourism and Hospitality Best Practice Guides (from Go2HR).
• Parks, Campgrounds, Golf Courses.
• Transit
• Transportation

Industry and Manufacturing

• Agriculture
  • Protecting Farm Workers and Temporary Foreign Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  • COVID-19 Information for U-Pick Operations in BC.
  • COVID-19 Information for Farm Stand Operators in BC.
  • AgSafe BC COVID-19 Resources.
    • Translated content in Vietnamese and Punjabi.
• Construction
• Forestry
• Manufacturing

How do we stay safe during reopening?

It is important that businesses practice physical distancing and follow prevention and personal hygiene actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. WorkSafeBC recommends the following actions below in order to protect yourself, your colleagues, and clients during reopening.

Learn more on our Prevention and Personal Hygiene page.

Maintain physical distance

• Maintain a distance of 2 metres between workers and others wherever possible.
  • Ask yourself:
    • Can you reduce the overall number of workers in the workplace at one time?
    • Can you revise work schedules to achieve this? (i.e. through work-from-home and shifts)
• Post occupancy limits at the entrances of your workplace and in areas where people gather (i.e. break rooms, meeting rooms, elevators, washrooms).
  • Resource: Occupancy limit poster (Translations: Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi).

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces on a regular basis

• Clean common areas and surfaces including washrooms, equipment, tools, common tables, desks, light switches, and door handles.
• Resource: Cleaning practices / cleaning and disinfecting poster.

Do not admit workers and visitors with symptoms

• Have a system in place to screen workers and visitors before they enter the workplace
• Resource:
• Employee screening checklist poster.
• Visitor screening checklist poster.

Wash your hands

• Employees should wash their hands upon arriving for work, before and after breaks, after using the washroom, after handling cash or other materials, before and after handling common tools and equipment.
• Resource: Handwashing poster.

Install physical barriers

• Consider changing the layout of your workplace, store or office to create physical distance between people
• Resource: Designing effective barriers information sheet.

Wear a mask

• Masks should be considered if physical distancing is difficult to achieve at the workplace, masks can act as a barrier and help stop the spread of droplets.
• Resources:
• How to use a mask poster.
• Selecting and using masks information sheet.
• ‘Learn more about masks on our Prevention and Personal Hygiene page.