Vaughan ChamberSafe Program
Workplace Self Screening Kit

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Can Businesses Give Screening Kits to and Who Can We Screen?

You CANNOT give kits to anyone outside of your company. They are ONLY for use with your employees that are frequently coming to the workplace. You also cannot screen anyone else other than employees coming to the workplace. This is essential as reporting presumptive positives or inconclusive results may call into question your ability/authority to do so. Employees have the right to refuse, but when they comply that is consent to collect and report the data.

What Is the Accuracy of These Screens?

These are highly accurate in the range of 90% accurate; however, there are circumstances where they may show a false positive or false negative. In particular, this is why NO ONE SHOWING SYMPTOMS should be screened using these tests. Symptomatic individuals should contact a medical professional.

How Do We Dispose of the Waste?

The screen pad and vial (with the swab and buffering agent) are considered hazardous waste. Companies must make their own arrangements for disposal.

How Is the Screening Administered – Through the Nostril or Mouth?

Rapid Antigen Screening is a nasal swab and not invasive. The requirement is the swab must be inserted into each nostril 2cm (1 inch) for 5 to 7 seconds while ensuring the inside of the nostril is wiped by the swab for that time.

What Is the Reporting Responsibility Our Business Has With Respect to the Results of the Screens?

In order to participate, you have signed a document that makes you responsible to report all results of your screens. The total number of screens, all positive, all negative, and all inconclusive results must be entered in the reporting form available online.

How Many Staff Can Go to Pick Up and Train for the Screening Kits?

Due to safety protocols, we are limiting in-person visits to the facility. Send ONLY one person (maximum 2) to pick up kits. You will be required to watch a 5-minute training video prior to your initial pick-up. Click here to watch the training video.

Can I Just Drop in and Pick Up Kits for Refills of My Order?

It is important to limit the number of people to reduce the opportunity of close contact. Please wait until you receive your time/day confirmation from Vaughan Chamber staff.

What Is the Next Step if an Employee Has a Positive or Inconclusive Result?

Anyone screening presumptive positive or inconclusive MUST immediately self-isolate and contact Local Public Health for a PCR Test within 24 hours and cannot be permitted in the workplace until there is a confirmed (by Public Health) negative test result. It is REQUIRED that Public Health be notified of any positive results immediately. According to the Ministry of Health, you are required to report all presumptive positives, and inconclusive to the Local Public Health authority. Your employee is required to follow all of the Local Public Health authority’s direction and MUST arrange for a PCR test within 24 hours of their presumptive positive or inconclusive result. We will be reporting from our Rapid Screening Kit website to the Ministry of Health and Health Canada for data collection.

Who Can Perform the Screen on the Employees?

The Ontario Government authorizes “self” screening using these kits. However, there is a requirement that there be an on-site Screening Supervisor who has been trained via the video. No one other than the employee should perform the swabbing procedure on themselves. The supervisor is there to instruct and ensure the procedure is followed for an accurate result.

Who Should Supervise the Screens?

The Ministry of Health requires that a trained individual supervises the screening process. You will receive an email after your initial pick-up, contained in that email is a link to report results as well as a link to the training video to use as a refresher and/or train other supervisors.

What Is the Frequency We Should Be Screening Our Employees?

The recommendation from public health is that all employees should be screened twice per week. It is understood in some settings or with a higher frequency of close contact that some businesses will want to screen more than twice per week. Please advise us if you do require larger quantities. We would like to help but this will affect our required supply needs at the Chamber, and we need a bit of notice to alert our suppliers. Conversely, some may want to test less frequently or may have a variety of schedules that employees are in the workplace. It is really up to you, but please, put the safety of your employees first, and that will ensure you have a safe workplace

Do These Kits Have an Expiry Date?

Yes, they do. Using the kits after they expire may not be as accurate. Caution should be taken to review the box and ensure they are not expired.

Do I Only Give Screens for Employees Showing Symptoms?

No. In fact, it should be recognized that anyone showing symptoms must be kept OUT of the workplace and must not be allowed to return until Local Public Health provides a confirmed Negative result from a diagnostic PCR Test.

Should We Avoid Screening People That May Be Experiencing Allergy Symptoms?

Anyone showing symptoms that are similar to COVID-19, could in fact be infectious and should not be screened. They should be referred directly to public health for a PCR assessment.

I Am a Consultant on Workplace Safety, Can I Order on Behalf of My Clients and Screen Their Employees?

This is not permitted under this program.

Can I Purchase Extra Kits So I Can Screen Those I Want To, if So, How Much Do They Cost?

No, these are not for sale. We are not authorized to charge anyone for these kits. Conversely, the document you signed also requires that you not sell or distribute these. The box of 25 kits is approximately $200 based on retail information we know of. This is all funded by the Federal and Provincial Governments of Canada.

I Am a Volunteer/employee for an Organization, Can These Kits Be Used for That Purpose?

Unfortunately, these kits can only be used for employees at this time.

Some of Our Employees Are Required to Travel for Business, Can This Screen Validate Them for Travel?

No, this program is exclusively for employee workplace testing.

I Noticed There Are Two Packages Marked Control Swabs, What Do We Use Them For?

Contained in each kit are two Control Swabs. One will produce a negative result, the other will produce a positive result. These are ONLY to be used for quality control purposes. If you are finding that the results are not showing up on the testing pads, you can follow the process in the manual provided to do a quality control check of the pads by simply following the same testing regime EXCEPT DO NOT SWAB ANYONE WITH THESE CONTROL SWABS, they have ingredients on them already to produce the results. While the Positive Control Swab will show positive for COVID-19, there is nothing on the swab that is infectious or that will pass COVID-19. It is a pre-loaded swab and should not be used for anything other than quality control. Click here to watch the video.