Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to highlight some of the work the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission is doing to support employers and workers in the Northwest Territories during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission acted swiftly to put in place financial relief measures for employers who were unable to make their assessment payments. These measures extended the deadline for the first instalment of 2020 assessment payments to August 1st and gave valuable time to employers to adjust their payroll estimates and to make their payments later in the year without facing any late payment penalties.
Madam Speaker, many businesses that have remained open or have successfully reopened during the pandemic are continuing to do so safely with the support of the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer working in partnership with the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. As part of the Emerging Wisely Plan, employers must complete an exposure control plan for how they will identify and manage the risk of COVID-19. An exposure control plan is also a requirement under the Northwest Territories Safety Act and Northwest Territories Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Employers are responsible for ensuring a healthy and safe workplace. That responsibility has not changed.
Employers do not need to send their exposure control plans to the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission for approval; however, Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission occupational health and safety inspectors will only request a copy of the completed plan from employers when they are responding directly to concerns or doing an inspection. To date, Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission staff has provided direct assistance to over 2,500 employers through outreach and inspections to help them to develop their pandemic exposure control plans and to put practical solutions in place. Many employers and industry organizations have proactively reached out to the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission for this assistance, showing the commitment that employers here in the Northwest Territories have to keeping their staff and their customers safe.
As other parts of Canada see their pandemic case numbers rising, the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission remains committed to supporting local businesses to review their plans regularly, to make sure that they are prepared and to continue to provide support as needed to protect the health and safety of workers, clients, and customers. There are a number of great resources available on the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission website. I strongly encourage any business that has concerns about how to do a good risk assessment or put a plan in place to look there for guidance or to get in touch with the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the contributions of three outgoing members of the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Governance Council, Mr. David Tucker, Mr. Abe Thiel, and Mr. Jack Rowe. I would like to thank the members for their service and important work overseeing the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission and representing the interests of workers, employers, and the general public. Thank you, Madam Speaker.