Health and Safety of Border Services Officers
Date: April 27, 2020
Classification: Unclassified
Branch/Agency: HRB/CBSA
Proposed Response:
- We take the safety of our front line staff very seriously.
- The CBSA provides a daily briefing to its Border Services Officers (BSOs) and the Customs and Immigration Union, which represents them, on the evolving situation.
- The Agency works closely with Health Canada (HC) experts to ensure that appropriate measures are in place, including the examination of standard operating procedures for dealing with travellers who may exhibit symptoms of illness.
- The Agency is also continuously examining the volumes at our ports of entry in an effort to optimize officer schedules and is providing time off for personal care and rest, both physical and mental, in order to keep its workforce healthy and prevent burnout.
- At this point in time, the CBSA has sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment. Regardless of where a CBSA officer works, they have access to the personal protective equipment required to ensure their health and safety. With the efforts made by Public Services and Procurement, the CBSA continues to restock where required.
If pressed on training of PPE:
- Occupational health officials from Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) have been providing ongoing training since January 20, 2020 to CBSA officers. This training focuses on the coronavirus and on the proper use of personal protective equipment
- All BSOs have been, and continue to be, trained on the proper donning and use of personal protective equipment, including masks, through significant briefings, shift briefing bulletins and an internal video. This has been complemented with 88 information sessions, through which 1,139 CBSA officers have received in-person training.
- The CBSA continues to follow the guidance of HC and PHAC with regards to personal protective equipment. For example:
- CBSA officers handling documents and baggage of potentially ill persons must wear gloves; and
- when a CBSA officer must be in close proximity to a potentially infected traveller for a prolonged period of time, officers are to wear gloves, eye/face protection and a mask.
Background:
CBSA port of entry management provides regular briefings to staff on the enhanced measures and procedures in place. In addition, officers are briefed on emerging issues as they arise, as well as any upcoming potential situations or changes to practices
In addition to the regular briefings to staff provided by CBSA port of entry management, when available, and at locations where PHAC resources are on site or in the vicinity, PHAC officers attend shift briefings to support CBSA port of entry management, and ensure that CBSA officers have the most up to date information, understanding of trends, as well as an opportunity to ask questions related to COVID-19, including how to protect themselves and about potential risks.
The health and safety of its officers is of utmost importance to the CBSA. At this time, Health Canada has advised officers interacting with travellers to wear gloves when handling the documents and baggage of potentially ill persons and, to wear gloves, eye/face protection and a mask when escorting and remaining with an ill person. Staff continue to be briefed and trained in the proper use of personal protection equipment.
Supplemental information from Health Canada on Border Services Officers training
As part of Highly Toxic Substance (i.e. opioid) procedures, all Border Services Officers need to be trained on proper donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment (including N95). CBSA has an internal video for this purpose. In accordance with the Agency’s Respiratory Protection Program, employees cannot wear respirators without being fit tested to ensure an adequate fit.
In light of COVID 19, regional management arranged for supplemental, local training sessions for CBSA officers by Health Canada nurses.
Contacts:
Approved by: Louise Youdale, Vice-President, Human Resources Branch, [REDACTED]
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