October 12, 2020 – In its October 7 newsletter, Electrical Contractor Assoc. of Ontario published a joint message with IBEW CCO on staying vigilant during this latest spike of Covid-19 cases.

“We are, and should be, proud of our performance as a community throughout this pandemic,” said Graeme Aitken, ECAO executive director. “At the core of our outstanding performance is our being ever-diligent and committed to one another and our communities.”

Although cases reported from Ontario construction sites have been very low over the last few months, the partners remind everyone of the importance of practising health and safety measures (e.g. physical distancing, hand and tool sanitation, face masks) to mitigate the potential spread of the virus on jobsites.

“Our industry is unique,” write the partners, “in that much of the work on jobsites is done with many employees onsite. Thus, proper screening is absolutely vital, so that an infected individual does not show up to work with any of the symptoms of Covid-19”. This could include fever, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and also if an individual has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

“We cannot let our guard down now; not at this point when an expected subsequent wave of Covid-19 spread and its potential impact on the whole construction industry or province looms. Now is the time to double our efforts, to become more diligent, and to do our part!”