Ontario Construction News staff writer
As many businesses begin to reopen under new health guidelines, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association and Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) say a focus on safety procedures is a key to success.
“Today’s survey results indicate that employers, employees and consumers need the right tools in place to feel safe and supported as we reopen the economy,” Rocco Rossi, president and CEO,Ontario Chamber of Commerce said in response to new business confidence survey results from Campaign Research Inc.
The report concluded that “88 per cent of Ontarians are worried about the economy, with 50 per cent being very worried.
Meanwhile, 75 per cent of people in Ontario 18 or older are concerned about contracting COVID-19.
“This supports what we have been saying all along – the economy and the health of Ontarians are interdependent and both must be addressed together,” Rossi said.
OGCA president Clive Thurston agrees.
“Construction workers return to work this week with our assurance that they will be working in safe workplaces,” Thurston said. “As industry leaders in health and safety, contractors have put in place orientations, procedures, and the required supervision to ensure workers will resume safely from day one. Our industry is proud to lead in the rebuilding of our economy and remobilize our workforce. It’s time to get back to work.”
The results of the survey reinforce employers’ responsibility to provide COVID-19-conscious workplaces and to ensure that employees know their well-being and that of their families are top priorities.
“The most important aspect of a sustainable return to work is the health and safety of our employees,” said Flavio Volpe, president, Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association. “The results of the survey reinforce our responsibility to provide COVID-19-conscious workplaces and to ensure that they know that their well-being and that of their families is our first priority.”
As the OCC has previously outlined, the six critical elements to reopening are PPE availability, smart quarantine policies, protection for the most vulnerable, mass testing, contact tracing, and workforce management systems.