b'WORKPLACEPredicting the future of workA look at the long-term impact ofCOVID-19 on the day-to-dayworking model at pits and quarries By Matthew BradfordW ith offices reopening andonfutureworktrendsduring the2021offersMcGonigle.Therewillcertainly operationsreturningtoOSSGAOperations,HealthandSafetybeademandtomaintainthoseenhanced normal,manywonderSeminar last February.hygieneandsocial-distancingpractices, howthefutureofworkincluding maintaining equipment cleanliness willtakeshape.ItsaTokeepthosequarries,pitsandjobfollowing use. different answer for every industry, and asites active, employers had to quickly and morecomplicatedonefortheaggregateprudentlyimplementhealthandsafetySomeemployerswillmakethecallto industry where teams are split between theprocedures and policies based on guidancemandate a physical office presence. There office and the field.providedbythegovernmentandhealthwillalsoberemotestaffwhopreferto Predicting the future of work requires aofficials.Thismixofwork-from-homereturn.Inbothcases,considerationsfor look back at how employers responded toofficepersonnelandonsiteworkershasofficehealthandsafetywillneedtobe given rise to hybrid workforces, with day- made. The pandemic has driven demand the COVID -19 pandemic. For a majority ofto-day jobs altered by the pandemic. for stronger and more consistent cleaning Canadian employers, that response was toprograms,aswellasHVACsystem embrace the work-from-home revolution. Today,thequestionisifthishybridupgradestopromotehealthyindoorair modelwillstickandtowhatdegree.Inquality (IAQ). Similarly, employers across Overthepast16months,employersmany cases, employers will be compelledevery industry will need to take a fresh look that could asked their employees to workto accommodate employees who prefer toat their emergency preparedness plans to fromhome,whichresultedinminimalwork from home and can do so effectively.ensure they account for pandemic events.buildingoccupancyinmanyinstances.Atthesametime,hands-onindustries Then there were industries like aggregateswilllikelymaintainpandemic-erahealthAll told, health and safety will remain where working from home was not entirelyand safety measures for those who need totop of mind among employees for some possible.Itsnotpossibletoshutdownbe physically present. time to come. In response, companies will theentireaggregateindustryandsendneed to maintain strict health and safety everyonehome,saysJasonMcGonigle,Idontbelievetheaggregateindustryprotocolswhilecommunicatingtheir principal, senior EHS practice leader, withis going to change much in the near futureefforts so that staff feel confident returning GolderAssociatesLtd.McGoniglespokeintermsofhowworkisconducted,to their desks or the job site.26 AVENUESFALL 2021'