Parents are in a unique position to influence how their kids think about safety at work. By talking to your kids about safety when they’re young, and sharing your own knowledge and experiences, your kids will establish safe attitudes and behaviours that will translate to safety at work. Moreover, once they enter the workplace, they will be well equipped to advocate for their own safety in the workplace to prevent accidents and injuries.

Like many employers in construction, Ryan Burton oversees more than one workplace. The managing director of Abbotsford-based Bigfoot Crane Company has 12 staff at the office and 18 who visit various jobsites to erect and dismantle tower cranes. So Bigfoot’s COVID-19 response has had to take into account very different scenarios.

In Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary, General contractor Clark Builders reacted to COVID-19 as soon as the first cases were confirmed in Canada in early March. "We tried to jump ahead of the curve," explains senior superintendent Wayne Macleod, based in Vancouver. "It’s not hard to implement a plan. And once you’ve got it going, it takes care of itself."

Preparing for COVID-19 helped Gord Zaitsoff land a contract. And a detailed health and safety plan for operations during the pandemic allowed him to finish the three-week project “right on schedule with no interruptions,” says Zaitsoff.

When the provincial government designated real estate agents as an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic, Langley real estate agent Pamela Omelaniec knew she needed a plan. Her work involves office staff, potential buyers, sellers, and home inspectors.