Roughly four out of every ten Windsor-Essex businesses inspected for COVID-19 compliance failed to pass the test.
Led by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, 19 provincial offence officers took part in a workplace safety campaign in Windsor-Essex on Saturday.
They visited a total of 97 businesses, with the recommendation of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, and found that 56 per cent of them complied with pandemic control regulations as listed in the Reopening Ontario Act. The businesses included restaurants, retailers, and personal care services.
The Labour Ministry said 31 formal warnings were given, 13 occupational health and safety orders, and five citations. The businesses that received some form of discipline will be subject to a follow-up visit by an inspector.
"Three of the most common contraventions were that businesses were not actively screening everyone who works on-site before they entered, they were not adhering to capacity limits and did not have a safety plan," said Labour Ministry spokesperson Kalem McSween.
Many of the businesses that were visited on Saturday were closed to the public during the recent provincial shutdown, so the purpose of this blitz was for inspectors to offer compliance assistance and education for those businesses reopening after a long period of closure.
"Results to date have demonstrated that the majority of businesses are doing the right things and those that need help can be coached into compliance without penalties," said McSween. "Officers promote and enforce the public health requirements with regards to things like screening requirements of workers and essential visitors entering workplaces, wearing of masks and PPE, and workplace safety plans for businesses in the public health levels required by the new COVID-19 Response Framework."
Officers from AGCO and the Ministries of Transportation, Finance, and the Environment joined the Labour Ministry on the weekend blitz.
