CPCA Bulletin: List of Essential Services In Canada’s Two Largest Provinces

PROVINCE OF ONTARIO

We are pleased to confirm that all manufacturing along with its integrated supply chains in Ontario are considered an essential service and have been deemed exempt from mandated business closures.  Manufacturing is essential both to help respond to the crisis and to be the basis on which the economy will rebound in the coming months.

The Government of Ontario released its list of essential workplaces. The definitions of supply chain and manufacturing, under which paint and coatings would be captured as follows:

SUPPLY CHAINS

Businesses that supply other essential businesses or essential services with the support, supplies, systems or services, including processing, packaging, distribution, delivery and maintenance necessary to operate.

MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCTION

Businesses that extract, manufacture, process and distribute goods, products, equipment and materials, including businesses that manufacture inputs to other manufacturers (e.g. primary metal/ steel, blow moulding, component manufacturers, chemicals, etc. that feed the end-product manufacturer). Businesses, facilities and services that support and facilitate the two-way movement of essential goods within integrated North American and global supply chains.

Hardware stores and stores that provide hardware products necessary to the essential operations of residences and businesses.

NOTE: The above would cover all paint and coatings products sold in various types of retail outlets across the Province.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction projects and services associated with the healthcare sector, including new facilities, expansions, renovations and conversion of spaces that could be repurposed for health care space. Construction projects and services required to ensure safe and reliable operations of critical provincial infrastructure, including transit, transportation, energy and justice sectors beyond the day-to-day maintenance. Construction work and services, including demolition services, in the industrial, commercial, institutional and residential sectors. Construction work and services that support health, safety and environmental rehabilitation projects.

We will continue to keep members updated as we learn more information in the coming days. That said, if you have any specific questions, comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

PROVINCE OF QUEBEC

In the Province of Quebec there are a number of essential services covering the sale of paint and coatings products as follows:

MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES

Production of necessary inputs for essential sectors.

NOTE: Paint and coatings products are used for a wide range of essential sectors related to municipal infrastructure, health and critical care facilities, auto repairs and maintenance.

BUSINESSES

Large stores outside shopping centres (offering grocery, pharmacy or general hardware services).

NOTE: This essentially covers paint stores as paint is sold as part of general hardware services by a number of retail outlets in Quebec.

BUSINESS SECTOR

Building maintenance and upkeep services and general maintenance services.

NOTE: These services are related to paint and coatings supplies for building maintenance in a number of coatings segments for a number of end users. However, construction firm activities are limited to emergency repairs and security purposes.

More details will be provided on actions taken in other Provinces as they impact the paint and coatings industry.

OTHER PROVINCES

Please note that other Provinces have yet to take action on closures and designate essential services in such cases. CPCA will update members as and when such decisions are taken.

Backgrounder

Importance of Paint & Coatings in a Pandemic

Some examples of the critical and essential contribution of the paint and coatings industry without which many other industries and parts of our society would greatly struggle include the following:

Benefit of other industries and the public at large include:

• Life-saving equipment, such as ventilators and vital signs monitors, have multiple parts & components that must be coated to protect them and ensure they work as designed. Each of these parts will be made at a different location, by different parts suppliers. Each of these parts suppliers will buy their protective coatings from multiple sources and they need the ability to choose the supplier with the necessary coating available – as rapidly as possible. Accordingly, shut-down of coatings manufacturing companies will severely disrupt the supply chain of ventilators and vital signs monitors critical to weather the current pandemic.
• Ventilators and vital signs monitors, other critical pandemic-related supplies and equipment require coatings supplied by operating paint and coatings manufacturers. These include everything from swab sticks to endotracheal tubes, protective clothing to respirators and sample transport media. For example, protective suits & over-shoe booties are coated, not just to make them blue, but to incorporate protective resins to make sure they perform as needed. If coatings manufacturing companies (and upstream suppliers & distributors) close, it will severely impact manufacturers’ ability to supply these critical products to support critical care workers.
• Coatings companies also make cleaning products and mold/mildewcide treatments that are generally used before painting and used for antimicrobial control. It will be critical for these operations to continue as they increase capacity and avoid reliance on big producers.
• The need for chemical supply chain integrity cannot be underestimated. Curtailment in operations in one sector impacts production flow in another. Raw materials cannot easily be stored in large quantities, if paints and coatings production is curtailed, the resulting bottleneck faced by chemical suppliers would disrupt paint and coatings production long after the pandemic. The supply chain requires all links to remain viable at this critical time. Paints and coatings companies are the primary consumer of essential raw materials and must be part of the chain for the system to hold up over time and ensure business continuity remains intact when more normal times operations ensue to support economic revival for all concerned: businesses, employees and markets.
• Waterproofing coatings are essential in preventing “Sick Building Syndrome.” Waterproofing the envelope of new concrete buildings is crucial in preventing mold and mildew which can cause respiratory-related illnesses. These products are used mostly for remediation projects of existing facilities, including nursing homes, hospitals, and other areas where the public’s health is of critical concern. In addition, should Emergency Fabricated Structures need to be constructed, these coatings would be required for these projects immediately.
• The paint and coatings industry’s products are essential for use in hospitals, retirement and rehabilitation centres to encourage clean surfaces and on transportation infrastructure to ensure the safe movement of our population and commerce. In homes, paint products coat the outside and the inside as well as the floor and ceilings to ensure longevity, aesthetics, and cleanliness of surfaces. Many of these coatings include special performance characteristics that help to promote cleanliness in kitchen and bathroom settings. The interior of steel and aluminum food and beverage cans need a protective coating to ensure food quality, freshness and longevity. Coatings on consumer goods and packaging are necessary to maintain the integrity, cleanliness and security of the product.