April 30, 2020, the Ontario government, in collaboration with provincial health and safety associations, released the Health and Safety Association Guidance Documents for Workplaces During the COVID-19 Outbreak.
These guidance documents follow the government’s announcement of the development of a framework for reopening the economy following the COVID-19 outbreak emergency closure measures. The framework, which does not include any commitment to a formal timeline, provides an incremental outline for relaxing the emergency measures currently in place.
In preparation for the reopening of workplaces, the guidance documents provide sector-specific best practices to support employers in ensuring workers remain safe in the workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The sectors included in the guidance documents are:
-
Construction
-
Transportation
-
Utilities
-
Healthcare
-
Hospitality
-
Office
-
Transit
-
Police and fire services
-
Retail
-
Food retail
-
Funeral
-
Manufacturing
-
Auto
-
Film/TV
-
Tourism
-
Agriculture
Employers may want to take the guidance documents into consideration when creating return-to-work policies once the emergency measures are relaxed.
© 2025, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., All Rights Reserved.