Stó:lō Catering ~ Summer 2021 News

This section provides an overview of Stó:lō Catering's Health and Safety planning and the steps we take to keep everyone safe now ~ and long into the future.
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In addition to our existing, stringent company Health and Safety procedures that follow Department of Health regulations and Food Safe training, we used the WorkSafe BC six-step process to update our plan to:

1. Minimize the risk of COVID-19 and other diseases for our staff, customers and community.

2. Practice enhanced cleaning, sanitation and safety protocols.

Our owner, Sylvia Silver, developed our new plan with employees and the assistance of the tourism service industry experts at Spiritlink Communications. 

Although all employees and contractors are responsible for following and implementing this plan throughout the workplace, Sylvia is leading the way. She will ensure that adequate resources (training, cleaning supplies, PPE, etc.) are made available to implement and sustain our plan.
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We worked with Indigenous tourism industry experts at Spiritlink Communications to:

• Review resources provided by BC's Provincial Health Officer (orders, guidelines, support materials, etc.) and WorkSafe BC.
• Follow best practices of Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) that recognize First Nations community protocols and provide culturally-relevant tourism and hospitality industry guidelines. 

We followed the six-step process outlined by WorkSafe BC by: 

1. Identifying and assessing workplace risks - places where a virus or illness could be introduced or spread (places where people congregate; tasks or processes requiring workers to come into close proximity with one another or members of the public; frequently-touched surfaces, tools, machinery, equipment, etc.).
   
2. Implementing measures to reduce the risk of transmission - reducing and adjusting schedules to maintain 2m physical distancing guidelines; providing and using masks if close proximity with others is unavoidable; increasing cleaning protocols for all common areas and surfaces; providing additional adequate training and materials, etc. 
   
3. Developing policies to manage workplace health - outlining reminders about enhanced cleaning protocols, recognizing symptoms of any illness, actions to take, support for employees who need time to take care of themselves or family members, etc.
   
4. Implementing additional communication plans and training - ensuring everyone knows how to keep themselves safe at our workplace by offering training, posting signs, etc.
   
5. Monitoring our workplace and updating plans - involving workers in updating plans, encouraging them to raise safety concerns, etc. 
   
6. Continuing to assess and address risks of resuming  operations and returning to our 'regular' catering services.

Our plan aligns with Provincial Health Orders and the most current information available from industry experts and WorkSafe BC. 

We review and update our plan regularly to respond to new health and safety information released by the Provincial Health Officer, WorkSafe BC or other relevant agencies and organizations.

Our plan will be posted in our workplace and this page of our website will be updated accordingly to remind our customers, suppliers and our staff that we are all responsible for keeping people safe.  

If you would like to review a copy of our 7-page updated Health and Safety plan or have any concerns regarding its implementation, please contact Sylvia Silver immediately by phone at (604-621-6656).