COVID-19: appearance before the Standing Committee (December 2, 2020)
Issue
What has been the impact of COVID-19 on ECCC operations and what have you done to prepare the workplace for the safe return of employees? How much has it cost?
Points to register
- ECCC provides critical services to Canadians and is required to maintain operations during COVID-19. However, to ensure this happens in a safe manner, the Department has invested in equipment and processes to ensure the workplace is safe for those critical services employees that remained onsite.
- Weather forecasting offices were retrofitted with measures to maintain social distancing and necessary PPE to ensure continued operations. These offices use specialized equipment for everything from monitoring water levels in the spring, to wildfires, severe weather such as tornadoes, as well as hurricanes through the summer and fall.
- The National Environmental Emergencies Centre is using a hybrid model with staff rotating in the office to maintain physical distancing while monitoring for emergencies 24/7 and providing assistance using specialized tools.
- In support of government efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve of the pandemic, ECCC, in collaboration with Parks Canada, temporarily suspended visitor services and access at all national wildlife areas to align with the guidance of public health authorities.
- Beginning in June 2020, the Department gradually opened select NWA’s with modifications to mitigate health and safety risks, while providing Canadians access to the health and wellness benefits of being outdoors in nature.
- The expenditures totaling $1.5M have been incurred between March and September.
Background/current status
As part of return to work planning efforts, ECCC considers opportunities for accommodating flexible workplace options, and new strategies for ensuring employee health and wellbeing throughout the process of reintegration.
For ECCC employees that are already accessing the workplace, measures are in place to ensure their health and safety.
As more and more employees are planning to reintegrate the workplace, maximum occupancy by building and floor have been determined based on criteria such as OHS regulations, National Building Code requirements and physical distancing measures.
Only a subset of ECCC employees are expected to return to the workplace. To ensure the health and safety of ECCC employees, occupancy will be managed via the mandatory use of a booking app that is currently being tested and expected to go into production in the next few weeks. The planning and preparation for the eventual and gradual return to our work sites has been well underway since the beginning of summer.
This preparation has included the various branches working together to ensure consistent application of COVID-19 prevention measures in consultation with our various bargaining agents and occupational health and safety (OHS) committees throughout the department.
ECCC also installed TBS approved signage and floor markers throughout our buildings to support staff with physical distancing. To further promote health and safety, we have implemented measures that are in-line with guidance from health authorities and central agencies including enhanced cleaning measures, hand cleaning and disinfections stations and training for all employees working on site.
ECCC is limiting the number of employees on every floor of every worksite in order to ensure that physical distancing can be maintained according to building capacity. All buildings, occupancy is considerate of building specific factors as well as broadly applicable criteria such as OHS regulations, National Building Code requirements and physical distancing measures.
Up to 96% of the workforce is operational despite challenges related to COVID-19.
- Approximately 1583 positions have been identified as mission critical and critical support services.
- Approximately 1337 of these employees continued to work on site during the pandemic.
- Approximately 80% of ECCC employees are working remotely.
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