Post Pandemic Worksite Emerging

The Post Pandemic Worksite: Connected, Educated, Tech-Enabled

Worksites have changed due to a pandemic that has gripped the world, but work still needs to get done. Whether your place of work is your new home office, a restaurant or retail location, or an industrial worksite, we have all seen a significant shift in the daily routine. What has the past year taught us? How are we going to come out of this with improved ways to stay safe and healthy at work?

Low Potential for Remote Work on Industrial Worksites

A report was recently conducted by McKinsey & Company. The report shows that after an analysis of 2,000 tasks, 800 jobs, and nine countries it is clear that industries such as mining, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, construction and agriculture have a low potential for remote work. The ability to work remotely in these industries has the following dependencies:

• Specialized equipment
• High collaboration with others
• Physical presence on-site to conduct work
• Tasks done while out and about (delivery services)

Therefore, somehow and some way each of these industries will find a balance in the physical world as we continue to push through the pandemic and its after-effects. Worksite solutions are already arising, particularly with the emergence of contactless devices and increased cleanliness protocols.

Covid-19 Resilience

The COVID-19 Pandemic has resulted in many stresses (mentally, financially, relationships, etc.). Speaking positively, however, it has also shown us how resilient and resourceful humans can be. Improvement amongst all businesses practices is required to stay profitable and remain productive during the Pandemic, and organizational leaders needed to think outside of the normal office and worksite box. The result has been an increase in:

• Reducing Potential Transmissions
  • staying home when you are sick,
• mask and glove wearing,
  • office and worksite cleanliness,
• Telecommuting,
  • online meetings and learning,
• Contactless methods to deal with coworkers and the public,
  • Rural internet capabilities

With hindsight being 20/20 (pun intended), we can see positives results emerging after living one year in a virus-caused pandemic. Perhaps surprisingly, the additional precautions taken both in the workplace and through day-to-day-tasks have lowered the infection and transmission of not only the COVID virus, but also the annual flu rate in Canada . Workers are staying home when sick, wearing masks, and using antiviral cleaners regularly. Will Canadians continue with all of these precautions? Likely not. But many will be more sensitive staying home while sick and keeping work stations clean. These habits will have long lasting benefits.

Tech and the Pandemic

Looking at the impact from another angle, consider the growth and infiltration of technology in workplace education. Tech has stepped in to facilitate additional online courses and software to offer courses virtually (Zoom, Skype, Ring Central, Amazon Chime, Microsoft Teams, etc.). Cost savings and environmental benefits were also discovered with these new or improved technologies, including:

• Improved time management
• Less driving to course locations
• Less physical office space required for students, etc.

Many companies that already offer courses for workers (including Safety Auditing, Fall Protection, First Aid) have developed online options as well. These online options can be in addition to, or in place of, the traditional in-class course. The benefit of the online course is that a student can conduct their modules during non-busy times allowing workers to schedule the courses on days they cannot work. Additionally, studies have shown the retained knowledge is often higher for online learning verses in class learning. These technological educational adaptations will likely stick around post-pandemic.

Contactless Worksites

Tools to prevent multiple contacts on surfaces have also been improved. Retail outlets have increased the TAP amounts so that using a credit card is essentially contactless. Online tools for the worksite, such as WorkforceDocs, can facilitate easy completion of all safety forms digitally so you never have to pass a pen and paper around again. WorkforceDocs allows a form to be signed digitally from each individuals own phone or tablet. If there’s a fly in the online ointment, its rural Internet access. This lack of rural coverage has always been a sore spot in Canada. Many people living in the outskirts of major cities in Canada still have slow and unreliable internet services; other rural areas have overpriced, subpar services with limited download quantities. In November 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to connect 98% of Canadians to high Speed internet. We will have to wait and see how that one turns out. The Pandemic has caused substantial hardship for many, but it has also brought forth many positive benefits that will stay for the long-term. Like all other Pandemics in the past the lessons learned will allow Canadians to persevere, and be stronger and competitive into the future.