Ontario labour inspectors are homing in on warehouses and distribution centres, but the site of a major workplace COVID-19 outbreak isn香蕉视频直播檛 included in the ongoing inspections: Canada Post.

More than 300 employees at the postal service香蕉视频直播檚 Gateway facility in Mississauga, Ont., have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the year and one employee has died. Canada Post advised customers across the country to expect delivery delays as the outbreak impacted operations at the central mail delivery hub.

But because Canada Post is a federally regulated Crown corporation, its inspection falls outside provincial jurisdiction.

The president of the national union representing postal workers said consistent standards should be applied to all workplaces, noting that the outbreak has had an 香蕉视频直播渆normous impact on all postal workers.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭he virus doesn香蕉视频直播檛 distinguish between provincial and federal workplaces and neither should inspections,香蕉视频直播� Jan Simpson, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, said in a statement. 香蕉视频直播淲orkplaces and workers in the Peel Region have been hit hard by COVID-19. It香蕉视频直播檚 in everyone香蕉视频直播檚 best interest that all workplaces be inspected to ensure the health and safety of workers.香蕉视频直播�

Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said earlier this month that the ministry chose to focus on warehouses and distribution centres in Peel Region - the hard-hit region of the Greater Toronto Area - noting that such workplaces employ a high number of temporary and precarious workers.

香蕉视频直播淓very employer, I don香蕉视频直播檛 care 香蕉视频直播� who they香蕉视频直播檙e owned by, knows the rules that they need to follow,香蕉视频直播� McNaughton said in an interview when the warehouse and distribution blitz was announced on Feb. 10. 香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no excuses anymore.香蕉视频直播�

In the first week of the inspection 香蕉视频直播渂litz香蕉视频直播� in Peel Region, inspectors visited 59 warehouses and issued issued 10 tickets and one order. They found compliance was just over 64 per cent, according to the ministry.

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However, McNaughton said the federal government has responsibility for the Canada Post workplace. He said all levels of government need to work together to make sure safety measures are in place.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 all hands on deck, every level of government has to pull their weight,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 certainly ensuring that our ministry is doing everything possible to protect the health and safety of workers.香蕉视频直播�

Employment and Social Development Canada confirmed in a statement that the federal labour program 香蕉视频直播渆ngaged香蕉视频直播� with the Gateway Canada Post facility 香蕉视频直播渟everal香蕉视频直播� times between March 1, 2020 and Feb.12, including 香蕉视频直播渢o investigate refusals to work, to conduct an inspection into the (preventive) measures implemented, as well as to investigate the death of the employee.香蕉视频直播�

But it香蕉视频直播檚 unclear what, if any, enforcement took place on those visits, or how many of them occurred and when. The department said information on specific findings including tickets issued couldn香蕉视频直播檛 be shared publicly unless through an Access to Information request.

The department statement said it works with employers to help them fulfil legal obligations, but added that employers are 香蕉视频直播渂est positioned to determine the health and safety measures for their work environment in order to meet legislated requirements.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭herefore, the Labour Program does not prescribe specific measures to be taken in any federally regulated workplaces,香蕉视频直播� spokesperson Marie-Eve Sigouin-Campeau said in a statement.

Peel Public Health, which also supported Canada Post in managing the outbreak by ordering asymptomatic testing of all workers among other measures, also declined to share specific findings.

香蕉视频直播淎s this is an ongoing, active investigation we are not in a position to disclose any further details,香蕉视频直播� Dr. Lawrence Loh, the region香蕉视频直播檚 medical officer of health, said in a Feb. 17 statement. 香蕉视频直播淐anada Post continues to co-operate with our investigation, and our joint priority remains protecting the health and safety of impacted employees and our broader community at this time.香蕉视频直播�

Tim Sly, an emeritus professor of epidemiology at Ryerson University, said the 香蕉视频直播渢angle of power struggle香蕉视频直播� between levels of government is a recurring characteristic of public health crisis management in Canada that can erode the public香蕉视频直播檚 trust.

香蕉视频直播淚t confuses everybody,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭he city says one thing, the province says something else, the feds say something else, and the public is going around in circles saying that nobody knows what they香蕉视频直播檙e doing.香蕉视频直播�

READ MORE: COVID-19 numbers in the Okanagan fall by more than 50%

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