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Guide

Leading Practices to Prevent COVID

Safety measures that building owners, employers, cities and transit agencies are using to mitigate COVID-19 transmission risk as of April, 2021.

Man working from home

Summary

In response to the pandemic, the Board assembled health experts, employers, building owners and other leaders in the Region to identify ways the risk of COVID transmission could be lowered in shared spaces. 

These leading practices are the result of that work and are organized around four core themes: 

  • Safe district
  • Safe buildings
  • Safe workplaces, and
  • Safe travel. 

While no single measure is effective on its own, taken together these can help prevent COVID spreading between people in close contact and through touch. In all cases, people should practice physical distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette – like coughing into your arm. 

To learn more about each mitigation, contact local health or government authorities.  

Safe District

Techniques to provide safety and confidence in shared spaces, such as buildings, transit stations and food and retail shops. 

Safe Buildings

Techniques to improve ventilation, air flow and filtering in buildings to help reduce transmission risk. 

Safe Workplaces

Techniques to maintain good hygiene and social distancing throughout the day in workplaces, including elevators, corridors and other common spaces. 

Safe Travel

Techniques to rebuild confidence in transit safety, alongside enabling distanced walking and cycling. 

Risk Factors

The following five key risk factors should be considered when making your safety plan: 

  1. Prolonged exposure. Spending more time with potentially infected people 

  1. Close proximity. Being close to others (typically within two-metres or six feet) 

  1. Crowded places. Having more people in a space 

  1. Closed spaces. Indoor spaces with less fresh air (being indoors is riskier than being outdoors) 

  1. Forceful exhalation. Activities that cause people to breath more deeply, such as exercise, speaking loudly and singing 

Disclaimer: The practices provided here are for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal or other professional advice. As well, links to other third-party web sites are only for the convenience of the user and the Board does not necessarily endorse the contents of third-party sites.