powder  Creek  lodge  Covid-19  plan
Last  updated  november 2022

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**ALL GUESTS AND STAFF MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID19 (defined as receiving 2 doses of a COVID19 vaccine series) AT LEAST 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO VISITING POWDER CREEK LODGE**
Preamble 

At Powder Creek Lodge we take guest and staff safety very seriously.  The guidelines below are adapted from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and will be followed without exception.
 
All guests and staff are required to be fully vaccinated (defined as receiving 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine series).  We do not require you to have a booster(s) but highly recommend it.  We also highly recommend you receive the flu shot.
 
Guests and Staff will be screened at the hangar before flying into the lodge.  Staff or Guests with symptoms of COVID-19 will be tested.  Rapid test-kits will be available at the hangar and at the lodge.
 
This document serves to delineate our approach for preventing the communal transmission of the COVID-19 virus at Powder Creek Lodge.
 
Note that we feel we need to point out that, no matter how many precautions and measures are taken, we cannot guarantee with certainty that COVID-19 will not find its way into the lodge. As you read through this document you will see that we have spent a lot of time thinking through this. We will do our very best to ensure that you have a safe and memorable ski vacation. We ALL need to do our part by showing up healthy.
 
For up-to-date information on COVID-19, please refer to BC Centre for Disease Control website (http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/).
 

Backcountry Lodge Operations
 
PCL Policies and Expectations 
PCL Responsibilities
  • PCL will communicate with employees about potential exposure to COVID-19. Employees will participate in staff training and will be well-versed in knowing and understanding their workplace health and safety responsibilities - and those of others.
  • PCL will regularly assess all the hazards within their operation, taking appropriate steps to eliminate or control them. Such controls will include adhering to current public health orders, public health advice as well as implementing best practices to keep our employees and guests safe. 
  • In situations where a worker has the symptoms of COVID-19 they will be required to wear a mask and limit contact with others as much as possible.
 
Staff Responsibilities
  • All staff at PCL will undergo a detailed training session on the current workflow procedures upon being hired for the season (at annual staff training).  Any new safety guidelines or procedures will be immediately conveyed to all staff.
  • Prior to beginning of a work shift each worker will conduct the self-assessment tool (Appendix 4) and fill out a health screening questionnaire.
  • Any employee at PCL experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 while at work will immediately be tested.

Employees Will
  • Try to minimize contacts and wear a mask if they are sick.
  • Be fully vaccinated
  • Wash their hands at the start of their shift, before eating or drinking, after touching shared items, after using the washroom, after handling credit cards, after touching common items, and at the end of their shift.

Transportation 
All transportation to and from the lodge is done by helicopter
Helicopter Transfer:
  • Our helicopter transport company, High Terrain Helicopters, complies with the Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights in Canada due to COVID-19, pursuant to sub-section 6.41 (1) of the Aeronautics Act, effective April 17, 2020.
 
Communications 
Pre-trip screening and Communication
  • Screening of guests will take place at the hangar during our pre-trip safety briefing.
  • It will be mandatory that all staff and guests complete the prescreening questionnaire.  Staff and guests will be tested if necessary.
  • We will also be collecting detailed contact information for each guest that will be used for tracing purposes if necessary. We will require a final guest list (with email address and phone number of each guest 1 month prior to the trip). Guest substitutions after 1 month prior to the trip date must be requested in writing and approved by PCL.
  • Please note that the Backcountry Lodge Association legal team has produced a new waiver this year that you will be required to sign. A copy is attached to this document, is available on our website and will also be emailed to you prior to the trip for your review. Specifically, the new waiver has wording releasing PCL from liability in the case of “infectious disease contracted through viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi which may be transmitted through direct or indirect contact”.
 
Guest briefings
  • An in-depth briefing on the lodge-specific COVID management plan will be conducted at the beginning of the trip.
  • Guests will be required to immediately bring any symptoms to the attention of staff members.

Daily symptom checks
  • All staff and guests will complete a daily self-assessment symptom check. Temperature testing will be available as needed.
 
Food Service 
  • Staff will help the guests maintain good infection control.
  • Self-serve food will not be permitted.
  • Meals (breakfast, apres, dinner and desert) will be plated by the chef and served to guests by staff.
  • Lunches and field snacks will be provided to guests in a pre-packaged format
  • Approved sanitizers and disinfectants will be used.
  • Food contact surfaces, dishware, utensils, food preparation surfaces, will be sanitized frequently.
  • Surfaces repeatedly touched by staff or guests, such as door knobs, equipment handles, condiments, dining tables and counters etc, will be frequently cleaned and sanitized.
  • Floors, counters and other facility access areas, such as bathrooms, will also be cleaned and sanitized frequently using authorized disinfectants.
 
Kitchen procedures
  • Only designated lodge staff will be allowed in the kitchen in and around mealtimes and will serve meals and clear the table.
  • Guests participating in dishwashing will be required to sanitize first and after.
  • Staff and guests will practice proper hygiene including frequent handwashing & proper cough and sneeze etiquette.
  • Authorized cleaning products will be used.
 
Lodging 
Guest Accommodations
  • We have large bedrooms at PCL where it is easy to spread out.
  • Fresh laundry is provided every week to each guest.
  • Cleaning/sanitizing supplies will be supplied in each bedroom for guests to use during the week.
 
Common Areas
  • If a guest becomes ill they will be asked to minimize their time in common areas and will be required to wear a mask if they are in a common area with others.
 
General Disinfection Protocols
  • Our standard strict cleaning and sanitizing protocols will be continued and frequency increased.
 
Handwashing Stations
  • Handwashing stations will be frequently used by guests and staff.
 
Cleaning of Shower and Toilet Facilities
  • Shared shower facilities will be cleaned and disinfected daily.
  • If a shower or toilet stall is used by an individual in self-isolation, it will be cleaned and disinfected after each use.
  • If an individual is ill or in self-isolation, attempts will be made to have them use a separate bathroom where possible.
 
Cleaning of Bedrooms 
  • Guests will be required to clean their own bedrooms.
  • All guest rooms will be fully cleaned and disinfected at the end of every trip.
 
Cleaning of Common Areas
  • There will be daily cleaning and disinfection of all common areas and surfaces.
  • Garbage cans in common areas will be emptied and cleaned regularly.
​
Managing COVID-19 Symptoms & Signs 
COVID-19 Symptoms
  • The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to other respiratory illnesses, including the flu and the common cold.  Commonly these are fever / chills, cough, sneezing, sore throat, and shortness of breath. Additional symptoms may include muscle aches, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, runny nose, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, loss of sense of smell or taste.  Almost everybody that has COVID has fever and cough (new or worsening). Shortness of breath and chest pain can be signs of severe illness.
  • People infected with COVID-19 may experience little or no symptoms, with illness ranging from mild to severe.
  • Some people are more vulnerable to developing severe illness or complications from COVID-19, including older people and those with chronic health conditions.

What if someone shows symptoms of COVID-19?
Staff or guests who have signs or symptoms of COVID-19 based on the self-assessment tool (Appendix 4) will:
  • Immediately report to the designated COVID-19 coordinator (lodge custodian).
  • Follow the self-assessment tool pathway (Appendix 4).
  • The affected person should wear a mask at all times when in common areas indoors. They should consider not skiing for the day and see if symptoms improve or worsen.
If the symptoms are severe such as shortness of breath (e.g. struggling to breathe or speak in single words) or chest pain, emergency evacuation will be arranged at the earliest possible time (weather and daylight permitting as all evacuations are done by helicopter).
 
What if a guest or staff member tests positive for COVID-19?
If a guest or staff member tests POSITIVE:
-Self-isolation is no longer required, however:
  • Guest/staff member should be in a private bedroom if available
  • Meals will be taken away from the kitchen table (eg bar, living room)
  • Guest/staff member must wear a mask when in common areas outside their bedroom
Guest/staff member may ski with the group but maintain 2m physical distancing at all times if they feel well and are not impacting the safety of the group

Waivers and Questionnaires
Pre-Screening Questionnaire
Acknowledgement of Risk Waiver
Powder Creek Lodge Waiver
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

​BC CDC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool
https://bc.thrive.health/covid19/en
 
Province of British Columbia Restart Plan
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/bc-restart-plan#:~:text=The%20BC%20Restart%20Plan%20takes,of%20the%20Provincial%20Health%20Officer.
 
BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
 
BC Centre for Disease Control Travel Recommendations
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/prevention-risks/travel
 
BC Centre for Disease Control Self-Isolation
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/self-isolation
 
WorkSafe BC: Accommodation: Protocols for returning to operation
https://www.worksafebc.com/en/about-us/covid-19-updates/covid-19-returning-safe-operation/accommodation
 
 
PCL COVID 2022/2023 Booking/Cancellation Policy:

Deposits and final payments will be non-refundable for the 2022/2023 season (as in our regular cancellation/refund policy).  If you need to cancel your trip for any personal reason including but not limited to, testing positive for Covid-19, being in contact with someone who is positive for Covid-19, personal illness/injury, family emergency, etc. you will need to contact your insurance provider for reimbursement.  Alternatively, if we can sell your spot, we will offer a partial refund as per our regular cancellation/refund policy.  Please contact your travel insurance provider prior to booking your trip. 

Note that final payment for your ski week will be due October 1st, 2022. If final payments are not received by October 1, 2022 we will cancel your spot and make it available for rebooking.  Your deposit will not be refunded unless your spot is rebooked (less our administration fee).