COVID-19: Risk Mitigation for Essential Service Workers that Cross Borders

Travel advisories and restrictions continue to be put in place in affected areas around the world.  Canadian’s who must cross  borders  for work as part of an essential service that moves essential goods or people, can reduce risk to themselves, their families and communities when they are home.

Risk

Essential services such as transport of goods and airlines require continued movement through areas with known cases of COVID-19 due to employment requirements.

Safe Practices

While travelling, personal protective measures include:

• While workers are traveling, daily monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms should occur. If symptoms develop, report to the appropriate officials.
• Frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and/or the use of alcohol based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Coughing or sneezing into your sleeve or tissue and not your hands known as respiratory etiquette
• Practicing social distancing; maintaining a 2 meter distance, avoid standard greetings that require physical contact such as shaking hands.
• If able, travel with essential supplies (food, water, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, etc) to enable self-isolation during trip.
• Avoid all unnecessary public establishments or gatherings.
• Increase regularly scheduled cleaning with a disinfecting agent or antimicrobial disposable wipes inside each power unit and shared spaces.
• Post trip inspection should include wiping down of all shared spaces with a disinfecting agent. Include steering wheel, dashboard, radio/telematics devices, door handles and gear shifts.

Once travel is complete workers should:

1. Practice Self-Isolation in their home
2. Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 daily and contact 811 for direction if symptoms present.
3. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, call 811, continue strict self-isolation and await instruction for testing.

If during the time spent at home no symptoms develop, essential service workers such as transport truck drivers and airline personnel can continue their employment requirements and duties.