Occupational Health and Safety: COVID-19 Impact in Canadian Workplaces

This report provides an analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and practices within Canadian workplaces. It begins with an overview of the virus, its symptoms, and its spread, highlighting the global and Canadian contexts. The report then examines the pandemic's effects on industry, social structures, and the environment, including increased ostracism, changes in workplace culture, and environmental pollution due to the use of personal protective equipment. It further details the measures undertaken to mitigate the threats, such as adherence to the Canadian Labour Code and the implementation of hazard prevention programs. However, the report also points out gaps in the current OHS framework, particularly in addressing pandemic-related challenges. It concludes by emphasizing the need for corporations and the Canadian government to adopt proactive measures to protect worker safety and well-being during the ongoing pandemic and future health crises. The report uses multiple sources, including Ccohs.ca, Who.int, and various academic journals, to support its findings and recommendations.

Running head: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF
COVID-19 ON THE CANADIAN WORKPLACES
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Introduction
As per the official report of Ccohs.ca (2020), within the nation of Canada in the year
2017 there were 326 reported incidents of workplace accidents whereas around 625 reported
cases of workplace health-related hazards. Almost et al. (2019) are of the viewpoint that the
different workplace accidents and the hazards that have become a common part of the modern
corporations adversely affects the safety as well as the wellbeing of the workers and thereby
takes a negative toll on the individual and the overall productivity of the corporations as well.
Thus, it had become important for the modern-day corporations to take into account the concept
of occupational health and safety and thereby take the help of different measures which will
safeguard the safety or the wellbeing of the workers.
More importantly, in the particular context of the nation of Canada it is seen that the
different corporations of the concerned nation are required to ardently follow the various
precepts of the Occupational Health and Safety Legislation, Canada Labour Code Part II and also
the information related to the same outlined by the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information
System manual (Ccohs.ca, 2020). Furthermore, various amendments to these mandates,
legislations, policies and others have been made in the face of the different pandemic events like
Covid-19 and others the concerned nation had faced over the years. The purpose of this paper is
to undertake an analysis of the manner in which the pandemic event created by the Covid-19
virus is likely to impact the occupational health and safety policies followed by the corporations
of Canada and the possible measures that the corporations can adopt for mitigating the
occupational health and safety issues that the virus is likely to create.
Overview of Covid-19 and the threats presented by it
According to Who.int (2020), Covid-19 or more commonly called by the name of
Coronavirus disease is an important global health issue that the different nations of the world like
China, Italy, USA, Canada and others are presently facing which in turn had given rise to a
pandemic event in these nations. Adding to this, Fadel, Salomon and Descatha (2020) have noted
that it is an infectious disease which is being caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2) which is related to the SARS species. This
particular disease had been named after the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak and the individuals

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infected with this particular virus display symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath,
fatigue and others (Paules, Marston & Fauci, 2020). In serious cases, the individuals infected
with this particular virus can get pneumonia, multiple organ failures and even die as well
(Swerdlow & Finelli, 2020). The nation of China had been affected the most by this particular
virus and the number of people infected with the same had reached more than 60,000 with 2.9%
of the patients out of the same being dead (Peng, Ho & Hota, 2020). In the particular context of
the nation of Canada, it is seen that more than 37 cases related to coronavirus had been reported
till now and out of them only 8 individuals had been able to recover from the same despite the
advanced medical as well as the healthcare services offered by the concerned nation (Hutchins,
2020). This in turn had given rise to a pandemic situation within the condition wherein the
people are scare to leave their homes and go to work or even the public places wherein they
would be surrounded by people and thereby get infected with the virus under discussion here.
Impact of Covid-19 on Industry, Social Structures and Environment
Wax and Christian (2020) are of the viewpoint that the different pandemic events while
adversely affecting the lives of the individuals also takes a toll on the different industries, the
societal structure and also the environment of the nations as well. Adding to this, Phelan, Katz
and Gostin (2020) have noted that an impact of this virus on the social structure of the nations
like Canada wherein people from all nations and backgrounds reside can be attributed to the fact
that it had substantially enhanced the ostracism or for that matter the racism which is being faced
by the individuals within the societal framework of the concerned nation. In this relation, it needs
to be said that the nation of Canada over the years had been known to be a multicultural nation
wherein individuals from the different nations, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds reside
in a harmonious manner without having to face any form of discrimination, stigmatization and
other kinds of societal evils that the individuals from diverse backgrounds had to face in other
nations (Fadel, Salomon & Descatha, 2020). However, in the wake of the pandemic situation
created by coronavirus it is seen that this social structure which had dominated the societal
framework of Canada is likely to change. This can be explained on the basis of the fact that
Chinese, Italian and the individuals from the nations which had been adversely affected by
coronavirus are facing ostracism and to some extent racism within Canada because of the fear of
the people that they might pass on the virus to them (Hutchins, 2020). In the light of these

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aspects, it can be said that the threat presented by coronavirus had taken a negative toll on the
social structure which is presently being followed within the nation of Canada.
Chinazzi et al. (2020) are of the viewpoint that the different industries and the
corporations related to them have also been adversely affected by the looming threat of the
pandemic situation created by coronavirus within the nation of Canada. Adding to this, Papineau
et al. (2019) have noted that the organizational or for that matter the workplace culture followed
by the different corporations of the nation of Canada had undergone a radical change in the face
of the pandemic situation under discussion here. In this relation, it needs to be said that the effect
of the framework of multiculturalism followed by the nation of Canada becomes apparent when
the workforce diversity of the different corporations of the concerned nation is being taken into
account (Forster, 2020). However, presently it is seen that the different workers of the
corporations rather than working in a collaborative manner are distancing themselves or
ostracizing the workers from the Chinese, Italian and other nations wherein the threat of the virus
is the greatest (Hutchins, 2020). This in turn had adversely affected the work of the different
corporations while reducing both the individual productivity of the workers and also their overall
productivity as well.
In addition to these, it had been seen that the pandemic event under discussion here had
also substantially increased the number of sick leaves which are being taken by the workers
(Forster, 2020). Furthermore, it is seen that some of the workers also taking leaves because their
family members are not well or even out of fear that they might contract the virus while being at
the workplace of the corporation (Chinazzi et al., 2020). This had delayed the completion of the
work of the different corporations and also taken a negative toll on their overall productivity as
well. More importantly, the corporations had also being forced to take the help of different
precautionary safety measures for safeguarding the safety as well as the wellbeing of their
workers which in turn had significantly enhanced the operations cost of the corporations and
thereby adversely affected their overall profitability (Canada.ca, 2020). These in short are some
of the most important effects of Covid-19 on the different industries or the business corporations
of the nation of Canada.
Phelan, Katz and Gostin (2020) are of the viewpoint that the pandemic situation created
by the outbreak of Covid-19 had also impacted the environment of the nation of Canada in a

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negative manner. Adding to this, Paules, Marston and Fauci (2020) have noted that in the wake
of the pandemic event under discussion here it is seen that the safety or the precautionary devices
which are being used by the individual for safeguarding their safety or wellbeing like masks,
medicines and others have increased. However, at the same time it needs to be said that the
important issue arises since these safety or precautionary devices are single-time use ones and
thus once they have been used by the individuals they are being disposed by the individuals into
the environment (Forster, 2020). More importantly, because of the non-biodegradable nature of
these safety or the precautionary devices they do not easily get decomposed and thereby have
added on to the environment pollution of the nation under discussion here which as a matter of
fact is an important wicked problem that the concerned nation is presently facing (Hutchins,
2020). In the light of these aspects, it can be said that the pandemic situation created by the
outbreak of Covid-19 while taking a negative toll on the social structure and the different
industries of the nation under discussion here had also adversely affected the condition of the
environment of the concerned nation as well.
Measures undertaken for the mitigation of the threats presented by Covid-19
Wax and Christian (2020) are of the viewpoint that in the wake of the pandemic situation
created by the outbreak of the Covid-19 it had become important for the different corporations of
the nation of Canada to ensure the occupational safety and the health of their workers. Adding to
this, Mohammadfam et al. (2017) have noted that the nation of Canada already has an effective
occupational safety and health policy which the different corporations are required to follow for
the purpose of enhancing the safety or the wellbeing of the workers and this was designed by the
Canadian government taking into consideration the occupational health and safety needs of the
workers along with different contingency situations like the pandemic situation under discussion
here. For instance, one of the most important precepts of the “Canadian Labour Code” is that the
employers are required to adequately identify the different kinds of potential health as well as
safety hazards that the workers are likely to face within the workplace of the corporations and
thereby undertake adequate preventive measures for the mitigation or for that matter the
resolution of the same (Ccohs.ca, 2020).
More importantly, the corporations of the nation under discussion here are also required
to formulate or for that matter design their own “Hazard Prevention Program” keeping into

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perspective their own organizational factors, their corporate governance framework and others
(Hutchins, 2020). In addition to these, it is seen that the Public Service Alliance of Canada
regularly undertakes inspection into the workplaces of the different business corporations of the
concerned nation to ensure the fact that they are ardently following the different stipulations,
mandates, policies related to the occupational health and safety framework of the nation
(Canada.ca, 2020). However, the most important issue arises since the “Occupational Health and
Safety Act” mandates that the different workers of the corporations of the nation under
discussion here can take sick leaves for as many days as required provided they are being able to
provide the medical proof for the same (Forster, 2020). Moreover, it had been seen the
occupational health and safety framework followed by Canada does not have adequate
provisions for the manner in which the corporations are required to deal with pandemic situations
like the one that the concerned nation is facing presently (Hutchins, 2020). In the light of these
aspects, it becomes for the Canadian government and also the different business corporations of
the nation under discussion here to take the help of various measures which in turn would enable
them to effectively deal with the pandemic situation while keeping into perspective the safety as
well as the wellbeing of the workers.
An important measure which the different Canadian corporations are following for the
purpose of overcoming the negative connotations or for that matter the threats presented by the
pandemic situation under discussion here is to take the help of adequate safety or precautionary
equipment like protective masks and others which in turn would hinder the transfer of the
coronavirus from one individual to another (Canada.ca, 2020). The corporations are even
offering leaves to the workers who display the symptoms of being infected by the virus under
discussion here or to the individuals whose family members or relatives have been infected with
the same (Chinazzi et al., 2020). Furthermore, some of the corporations whose workers have
been infected with the virus under discussion here are even offering work from home to their
workers so as to stop the transfer of the virus from the individuals who have already been
infected to the other individuals (Fadel, Salomon & Descatha, 2020). In addition to these, it had
been seen that some of the corporations are even offering vaccinations to their workers and also
conducting workshops wherein the workers are being adequate information regarding the manner
in which the workers can take effective precautionary measures for safeguarding themselves
against the threats presented by the pandemic situation under discussion here (Forster, 2020).

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Furthermore, the corporations are also discouraging the workers from undertaking business trips
to the other nations of the world for ensuring that they do not contract coronavirus (Hutchins,
2020). These in short are some of the most important measures which have been undertaken by
the different business corporations of the nation of Canada along with the mandates, legislations,
policies and others related to occupational safety and health that they already are following for
the conduct of their business operations in the concerned nation.
Impact of Covid-19 on Pandemic Planning
As discussed by Almost et al. (2019), the different nations of the world over the years
have developed a pandemic plan for the purpose of tackling the threats presented by the different
pandemic events or situations that they are likely to face in the near future. Adding to this,
Nordlöf et al. (2017) have noted that the different nations are also required to constantly amend
or for that matter to improve their pandemic plans on the basis of the different pandemic events
that they have, the possible events that they are likely to face, the present situation, their
capability of dealing with different unforeseen situations and others. In this relation, it needs to
be said that the nation of Canada over the years had developed its own pandemic plan for the
effective mitigation of the different pandemic events that it is likely to face in the near future.
More importantly, there are five important processes which are being used by the Canadian
government within its pandemic planning, namely, strategic planning, operations planning,
exercises, implementation and evaluation (Hutchins, 2020). These five processes are being used
in a cyclic manner and on the basis of the current scenario as well as the evaluation of the plan
on a frequent basis improvements or amendments are being made to the same (Canada.ca, 2020).
The pandemic event presented by the looming threat of coronavirus had forced the Canadian
government to make certain amendments to the pandemic planning process which is being
undertaken by it presently so as to equip the nation and also the different corporations related to
the same to deal with similar events in the future in a much better manner (Forster, 2020). For
instance, this particular event had clearly shown the nation still does not have adequate resources
for the purpose of dealing with health epidemics like the one under discussion here. This in turn
had made it imperative for the Canadian government to make changes in all the five steps or the
processes involved in its pandemic planning process and thereby formulate effective strategies
and also contingency plans for dealing with incidents similar to this in future.

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Changes in Legislations
The pandemic event under discussion here is still an ongoing process and thus the
Canadian national government is presently busy tackling the threats presented by coronavirus
rather than making the required changes within the occupational safety and health and the other
legislations which are being followed within the concerned nation. However, at the same time it
needs to be said that it is likely that the Canadian government would make the required
amendments to the legislative framework which is presently being followed by it once the
pandemic situation had been effectively resolved. In this relation, it needs to be said that the most
important changes which the Canadian government is likely to make especially related to the
occupational safety and health are associated with the leave policies, the safety or the
precautionary gears or equipment that the corporations are required to provide to their workers
while on work, vaccination of the workers and others. The formulation of adequate policies
related to these aspects are likely to substantially improve the safety or for that matter the
wellbeing of the workers and thereby are likely to positively impact not only the workers but also
the corporations as well.
Further Required Changes
There are various measures which the Canadian government as well as the different
corporations operational within the concerned nation can following for ensuring the fact that they
are in a better condition to deal with such pandemic events in future and also safeguard the safety
or the wellbeing of the workers as well. Firstly, a change in the pandemic plan which is being
presently followed by the Canadian government for dealing with different pandemic events
needs to be done taking into account the lessons learned from the present pandemic event.
Secondly, the different corporations also needs to improve the occupational health and safety
measures which are being followed by them presently by incorporating the lessons learned from
this pandemic event so as to safeguard the wellbeing, health and the safety of their workers.
Thirdly, the Canadian government also needs to make certain changes within its legislative
framework related occupational health and safety so as to ensure that in future the corporations
do not have to face similar issues. Fourthly, the corporations also need to frequently organize
various workshops and others wherein the workers would be offered adequate information
through which they would be able to safeguard their own health, safety and wellbeing.

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Conclusion
To conclude, the corporations are required to take into account the concept of
occupational health and safety and thereby take the help of the kind of measures which will help
them to safeguard the health, safety and also the wellbeing of their workers. This is important
since it would ensure the fact that the workers are physically and mentally fit and thereby being
able to perform as per the expectations or for that matter the performance standards of the
corporations and thereby make positive contribution towards the overall organizational growth.
More importantly, the national governments and also the different corporations are required to
make contingency plans for the different pandemic events or the situations that they are likely to
face so as to safeguard the health and the wellbeing of their workers. These aspects of
occupational health and safety become apparent from the above analysis of the same in the
particular context of the pandemic situation created by the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus that
the nation of Canada is facing presently.

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