Alberta farmers will be able to order personal protective equipment (PPE) through the provincial government as they are deemed an essential service, a notice from the strategy, planning and governance department of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry says on April 27.
PPE has become harder to obtain as the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded. Governments have limited who can have access to PPE in order to make sure essential workers who need it are able to receive it. Essential services able to acquire PPE are health works, allied health workers, public security, public utilities and food producers and processors.
Alberta farmers can submit PPE orders directly to the Logistics Section of Municipal Affairs’ Alberta Emergency Management Agency’s Provincial Operations Centre (AEMA-POC), the notice says.
Agriculture and food sector industry three-step order process:
- Prior to placing an order, review the Government of Alberta PPE Guideline document to ensurerequests are eligible and/or appropriate.
- Submit orders online at https://xnet.gov.ab.ca/ppe
- In the comments, it is recommended to include information such as the number of staff that will use the order and any OHS/industrial hygienist assessments to support the order.
- The AEMA-POC Logistics Section currently contacts organizations for delivery and billing information closer to the shipment date — orders are approximately two to four weeks on backorder.
An enhanced online ordering system, which will allow organizations to track their orders, is under development, the notice says.
Any questions or concerns can be directed to the Ag-Info Centre by phone at 310-FARM or by email at [email protected].
