Corporate

WSPS.CA | 2022 HEALTH & SAFETY LEADERSHIP SURVEY WHITE PAPER 23 The top three drivers for instituting a policy are: GLOBAL PANDEMIC Perhaps one of the truest signs that the pandemic is becoming endemic is that it dropped to the number three position on the list of top priorities. Last year, it occupied the number one spot. It also fell to number four on the list of health and safety concerns to address immediately. POLICIES AND PROTOCOLS Implementing health and safety protocols is still the primary focus for recovering from the pandemic, but it fell from 82% in 2020 to 45% this year. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of employers (82%) report that masking is still the number one tactic being used to cope with the pandemic. For the most part, employers and employees agreed on the top measures to cope with the pandemic. 1   Employee masking (82%) 2   Additional cleaning (including daytime cleaning) (74%) 3   PPE provided (72%) 4   Work arrival screening (temperature checks) (66%) However, there was a noteworthy gap between employer and employee perceptions when it came to item number five. Overall, 62% of leaders say reviewing policies ranked fifth on the list. Only 22% of employees felt this was the case. They placed this tactic at number 8, and indicated that seating, workstation and traffic flow restructuring fell into the number five spot. Craig Fairclough, an occupational hygienist and senior health and safety consultant at Workplace Safety & Prevention Services says he has seen a significant shift in awareness and understanding of health and safety and control measures as a result of the pandemic. "Prior to the pandemic people didn't know what an occupational hygienist was. Now, people understand because they know about PPE and the need for source control (masks), to prevent aerosols from being passed in common spaces." Most of the queries he receives from customers pertain to masks and face coverings. "I receive a lot of calls about things like the difference between a face mask and respirator and when it is necessary to be fit tested." As safety protocols become more ingrained, leaders are shifting focus to issues like figuring out how they will manage vaccinations and designing how and where employees will work together in the future. VACCINATION Overall, one third of companies have a vaccine policy in place. In Leading organizations that number jumps to 45%. Offices and healthcare work environments are most likely to have a policy. 3 Caring for employee wellbeing Decision by senior leadership Caring for customer wellbeing 70% 54% 48%

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