Lesperance Mendes’ COVID-19 Safety Plan
As part of BC’s Restart Plan, companies are expected to gradually resume regular operations using a staged approach. COVID-19 activity in the Vancouver and Fraser Health Coastal Regions has decreased and as a result, Lesperance Mendes believes the risk of COVID-19 in the office environment is low and that staff can safely return to work on a phased plan.
In accordance with and under the guidelines of WorkSafe BC and the Provincial Health Officer, Lesperance Mendes will reopen the office following the policies and procedures contained in our Safety Plan. The partners meet regularly to assess our Safety Plan, develop further policies and monitor all decisions.
LM is to remain closed to all guest, clients and co-counsel at this time. All meetings are to be conducted by telephone conference or Zoom. There may be occurrences when an outside guest is allowed on limited bases when there are extenuating circumstances and, when this is the case, all guest will have to complete the Visitor’s Self-Declaration.
As soon as you enter the office, you must wash your hands for the minimum of 20 seconds or use the hand sanitizer provided at the front counter.
Physical Distancing
We are staggering our return to work plan over multiple phases. We will begin with the following:
- We will limit the number of our lawyers and support staff in the office at a time to ensure physical distancing is maintained;
- Plexiglass shields have been installed where distancing is more challenging;
- All deliveries will be directed to a table at the front door;
- The requirement of 2 meters must be observed at all times;
- Office hallways will be one-way or one person in the hall at a time; and
- No beverage service will be offered and our kitchen will be closed.
Health policies/protocols
High touch areas will be cleaned regularly by dedicated staff throughout the day.
Hand sanitizer is located throughout the office in high touch areas.
Masks and hand sanitizers have been given to all lawyers and staff returning to the office.
Zero tolerance for attending the office if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms including fever (100.4⁰F/38⁰C), chills, coughs (allergies are an exception), shortness of breath, sore throat and painful swallowing.
All lawyers, staff are asked to self-screen for symptoms above before coming into the office and confirm they have not travelled outside of BC in the last 14 days nor do they have any reason to believe they have been exposed to COVID-19.
When the office is opened to receive guest, all guest will be required to comply with the same standards and must complete a health questionnaire. These forms will be held for 30 days and then destroyed.
Arriving at the Office and Landlord’s Guidelines
Entrance into the building is allowed through the Smithe Street doors and the line-up for the elevators following the floor markings. The Landlord Warrington PCI Management has issued their protocol for entering and exiting the building, elevator capacity, washroom capacity, janitorial services including additional cleaning and focusing on high touchpoints. All signage is to be observed. Further details are available upon request.
We have communicated and discussed these plans and polices with our lawyers and staff. A full and comprehensive plan has been posted within our worksite and provide to all our lawyers and staff. We will continue to follow all guidelines issued by the Provincial Health Authorities and WorkSafe.
COVID-19 Visitor’s Self-Declaration:
The safety of our employees, clients, families and visitors remain our overriding priority. As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve and spreads globally, we are monitoring the situation closely and will periodically update company guidance based on current recommendations from the Provincial Health Officer, Government of Canada and the World Health Organization. Only business critical visitors are permitted at this time.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the potential risk of exposure to our lawyers and staff, we are conducting a simple screening questionnaire. Your participation is important to help us take precautionary measures to protect you and everyone in this building and in the event of contact tracing. We will hold all information provided for a maximum of 30 days. Thank you for your time.
| Visitor’s name:
___________________________ |
Personal Phone Number (mobile/home)
___________________________ |
| Visitor’s Company/Organization:
___________________________ |
Name of Host:
___________________________ |
| Self-Declaration by Visitor | |
| 1 | Have you travelled outside of British Columbia within the last 14 days?
Yes ___ No ___ |
| 2 | Have you had close contact with or cared for someone diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 14 days?
Yes ___ No ___ |
| 3 | Have you been in close contact with anyone who has travelled within the last 14 days outside of British Columbia?
Yes ___ No ___ |
| 4 | Have you experienced any cold or flu-like symptoms in the last 14 days (including fever, cough, sore throat, respiratory illness, difficulty breathing)?
Yes ___ No ___ |
Signature (visitor): ________________________________ Date: ________________