Bulletin
ICBC – Personal Protective Equipment Survey Results
October 21, 2020
To: All MoveUP members at ICBC Driver Examiners, Stand Alone Driver Examiners, Supervisor Driver Examiners, and Instructor Driver Examiners
The results from our Personal Protective Equipment Survey are in. Our thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. We had 161 respondents, which is 56% of all possible respondents, making this a statistically accurate survey.
We have shared the results with ICBC’s labour relations department and senior managers in the driver licensing department and have pointed out the key messages you have shared with us – namely, that the number one concern throughout the survey is the lack of adequate time to perform your duties and to protect your health and safety. We have attached the key results for you HERE however some of the points we made to ICBC are as follows:
1. When asked if the original 10 minutes was too much time for the PPE, 74% told us that no, that was not too much time.
2. Nineteen percent of respondents said that they are not following the full PPE protocols. When asked why, the number one reason noted was lack of time.
3. Sixty-one percent of staff report that the introduction of PPE has made them less effective in their job.
4. Sixty-six percent told using that the PPE is having a physical impact. Forty-eight percent said it is having a psychological impact and forty percent report it has an emotional impact.
5. Eighty-five percent of respondents report that the PPE is adequately protecting their eyes, nose and mouth, the three points of entry for the corona virus. Those who felt the equipment was inadequate, identified the mouth as the most at risk, sighting that in some locations the quality of the masks are no longer medical grade and the fit is no longer as effective as with the first batch of masks.
6. It was a concern to see that 41% of you report that you do not have adequate time to properly wash your hands between road tests. A common trend was that washroom facilities are such that only one person can be in the washroom at a time, creating a significant bottle neck as staff must wait in line to use the facilities, creating delays and stress. Fully 22% say that they do not have adequate facilities to wash their hands for the required 20 seconds.
7. We are pleased to report that 92% report that they do have adequate supplies and facilities for donning, doffing, and sanitizing PPE.
8. With respect to the interior of vehicles, 34% report that they use both gloves and the seat cover, while 33% report they use gloves only. Fifty percent of you said that the time needed in the vehicle for your PPE is anywhere from 0-2 minutes.
9. Almost half of the staff report that they experience pressure to cut corners on the time required for the PPE. This is very concerning to both your union and employer. When diving deeper into the root cause, the overwhelming impression is that the pressure staff feel comes from lack of time – lack of time to complete administrative tasks, lack of time to find examinees, lack of time to properly sanitize equipment between test, and lack of time to use washroom facilities.
10. Forty-eight percent of the staff do not feel supported by the corporation with respect to the amount of time needed for the PPE protocols. ICBC”s executive team were surprised by this result, and are seeking input on how to do this better.
11. Sixty-one percent of respondents told us that no one spoke to them directly about reducing the amount of time needed for their PPE. For those who did speak to the manager, some told us that they felt they were deceived in the nature of the conversation, some were very clear that reducing the time was not a good idea and that the full amount of time was needed, while others felt that the decision had already been made and it didn’t matter what staff said. Finally, while it is true that, some respondents felt the time could be reduced that was certainly not the opinion of the overwhelming majority respondents.
These results are exceptionally helpful. With your feedback, we are in a much better position to focus our attention, and to find solutions. Items that are localized to one or two locations will likely be easier to resolve. We are committed to finding creative solutions to many of the problems you have raised through this survey and we will be working with ICBC and the OH&S Committees, both site committees and the provincial committee, to tackle many of your concerns from lack of time lack of support and impacts on your health.
If you have questions or ideas for solutinos, please do not hesitate to contact us at icbcconnect@moveuptogether.ca
In solidarity,
Annette Toth, Vice President
Cathy Hirani, Acting Senior Union Representative