Published on: February 05, 2021

Richmond, B.C. — WorkSafeBC is reminding bars, pubs, and restaurants to ensure their COVID-19 safety plans are up to date and followed to the letter ahead of Super Bowl Sunday.

“Events like the Super Bowl are typically some of the busiest days of the year for bars, pubs, and restaurants, and we’re urging businesses to revisit their safety plan to make sure it will be effective, as there could be an increase in patrons,” says Al Johnson, Head of Prevention Services for WorkSafeBC.

WorkSafeBC has focused additional province-wide inspection and consultation efforts this week on restaurants, bars, and pubs in advance of the Super Bowl. This work serves to remind businesses that they must have the required measures and controls in place to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace. WorkSafeBC prevention officers will also be conducting inspections on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7.

All employers in B.C. are required to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place that assesses the risks to workers and implements measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace. The plan must be reviewed and updated as conditions change.

To assist employers, WorkSafeBC has developed the resource: Reviewing and updating your COVID-19 safety plan: A guide for employers, available at worksafebc.com.

“We’re asking businesses to ensure COVID-19 safety remains a priority and to stay vigilant, update their safety plan as needed, and implement it to the letter to keep everyone safe,” says Johnson. “Businesses must also ensure they are abiding by orders, notices and guidance issued by the provincial health officer.”

Employers are responsible for the health and safety of their workers, and this includes doing everything that can reasonably be done to ensure customer compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols and orders, including maintaining physical distance, not congregating or moving table to table, and wearing masks as required.

Key Facts

• As of January 29, WorkSafeBC had conducted 22,122 workplace inspections and 4,169 consultations related to COVID-19. A total of 1,667 orders had been issued for health and safety violations.
• In spring of last year, WorkSafeBC worked with employer groups to develop protocols for restaurants, bars and pubs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This month, WorkSafeBC launched an awareness campaign to support workplace health and safety. The province-wide, multi-language campaign focuses on several specific actions workers and employers need to take to keep workplaces safe from COVID-19.

About WorkSafeBC

WorkSafeBC engages workers and employers to prevent injury, disease, and disability in B.C. When work-related injuries or diseases occur, WorkSafeBC provides compensation and support to people in their recovery, rehabilitation, and safe return to work. We serve approximately 2.5 million workers and 249,000 employers across B.C.

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For more information, contact:

Media Relations, WorkSafeBC
Email: media@worksafebc.com
Tel: 604.276.5157