Managing the Risk of COVID-19 in the Workplace
With the recent second round of Stage 3 restrictions in Victoria it is increasingly clear that COVID-19 is going to be a long-term factor in how we undertake our business for the foreseeable future. Safety Action has undertaken a number of reviews of late assisting organisations to ensure they have best practice processes in place for managing the risk of COVID-19.
It is very clear that the fundamental position should be for staff to work from home.
Coronavirus Response Plan
Companies need to develop a COVID-19 procedure, communicated to all staff, which includes:
Guidance to staff to self-identify as a COVID-19 vulnerable individual or concerned about their exposure to a vulnerable individual, with persons to inform relevant HR manager. Records are to be maintained confidentially, and a risk assessment to be undertaken to determine controls to minimise risk to health, with categories of vulnerability being:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 50 years and older with one or more chronic medical conditions.
People 65 years and older with one or more chronic medical conditions.
People 70 years and older.
People with compromised immune systems.
Flexible physical workplace presence:
Persons with immune compromised, respiratory problem or other deemed high-risk category should be encourage to remain working from home.
Those who exhibit or have been exposed to symptoms, should self-isolate for 2 weeks, or until a negative test result is provided.
Any person who is unwell for any reason should take sick leave.
Process to follow in the event an employee has COVID symptoms, or suspects they may have a COVID exposure (first or second hand), which should also provide:
Clear guidance on employees leave entitlements during these periods of time.
Clearly outline rights of the company in relation to workers presenting to site with potential COVID symptoms e.g. the right to send the employee home, to undertake medical assessment and present a clean medical certificate prior to returning to work.
Policy in relation to local and international travel.
Policy in relation to dependants i.e. employee leave entitlements if children required to stay at home.
Social distancing rules
Avoid shaking hands, avoid face-to-face contact (Limit to less than 15 minutes).
Carpooling policy (max 2).
Process for managing team meetings i.e. to be done virtually wherever possible, with maximum meeting time less than 2 hours.
Remove excess seating from work areas, offices, reception etc to prevent maximum occupancy from being exceeded or 1.5 metre distancing not being maintained.
Reposition desks to ensure staff maintain 1.5 metre separation.
Policy in Relation to Visitors
Physical attendance to sites to be prohibited as far as possible.
Visitor to confirm they are healthy, have not travelled in the last 14 days, and do not have any known COVID symptoms etc.
Diary of visitor attendance to site to be in place, with record of all persons interacted with in close proximity and/or for longer than 15 minutes.
Each visitor required to use hand sanitiser upon arrival.
Health Monitoring
Undertake ongoing health monitoring of staff prior to arrival on site, such as:
Temperature Checks, with clear cut-off criteria and process in event of recorded high temperature.
Declaration of fitness for work at sign in.
Ideally a person at admittance monitoring persons for symptoms of being unwell.
Separate Employees Into Work Teams
Workplaces should look to designate work groups with as few staff members as possible throughout their operations, which are to remain constant and not change during epidemic period.
Where one person is suspected of infection the team can be stood down until a negative test result is returned.
Teams should still maintain 1.5 metre distancing as much as possible.
Ideally visually mark each work group e.g. via a coloured sash, to increase ease of identification and monitoring of segregation practices.
Management of Break Times and Areas
Breaks to be scheduled, taken within teams with sufficient time to clean down surfaces and prevent cross group interactions.
Communal food and cutlery to be removed.
Adjust chairs and tables to ensure separation distances maintained.
Place hygiene products on tables to ensure ease of cleaning before and after use.
Assign a representative from each work group, rotating each shift, who is responsible for cleaning down break rooms and communal areas before and after use.
Hygiene
Undertake risk assessment to determine site PPE requirements e.g. Masks, Gloves, Gowns etc to manage risks of exposure.
Note: Ensure method of distributing PPE is managed to reduce risk of contamination i.e. separate masks from box to prevent touching next mask when picking one out.
Provide disinfectant at all relevant locations throughout site with disposable cloths or towels.
Where possible secure doors open to reduce amount of physical contact.
All equipment and shared work areas to be disinfected prior to and after every use.
Increased cleaning regime to be implemented including:
Daily cleaning of all work areas and used surfaces.
Pre-use and after-use wipe down of surfaces prior to use e.g. photocopier stations.
Personal hygiene.
Reception
Hand sanitiser to be present at reception and used when any person (staff or visitor) arrives.
Designated drop-off point for couriers and deliveries, with clear practice of disinfection before and after touching delivered items.
Space out chairs in waiting area to maintain a separation of 1.5 metres.
Install additional COVID-19 signage at reception including:
Reminder to maintain safe hygiene practices, maintain 1.5 metre separation as much as reasonably practicable.
Summary of COVID-19 common symptoms and requirement to not attend work if presenting with any of the symptoms.
Install an infrared thermometer station at reception with all persons to undertake a self-assessment and to not attend work if temperature exceeds 38°C, install signage directing workers to undertake assessment on arrival and to disinfect hands immediately after assessment.
Signage
Ensure clear signage displayed throughout site regarding protocols for managing risk of COVID-19 including:
Common COVID-19 symptoms.
Hygiene and other cleaning practices.
Each area to have maximum number of persons (1 per 4m2) identified and signed to ensure space dimensions not exceeded.
Install markers along walkways and at leader stations etc to indicate 1.5 metre separation.
Lots of free resources can also be found here.
Monitoring and Inspections
Leaders to undertake documented daily review of COVID resourcing within area.
Ongoing monitoring protocols are being complied with e.g. masks, break schedule.
Undertake a one-on-one review of a team member to confirm understanding of COVID policy and requirements, with a different team member reviewed each day.
Mental Health Support
Managers to undertake daily check-in of staff working from home to check on their ongoing mental health, with action to be taken to support staff suspected of stress or increased mental health risk.
Managers to have frequent conversations with staff in the workplace, about their ongoing mental health state.
Mangers to be trained in mental health risks, signs and strategies for supporting workers.
Company to provide clear resourcing to staff for mental health support e.g. EAP programs, Beyond Blue etc.
Monitor Government Information
Monitor information from the Department of Health, Safe Work Australia and State WorkSafe Authorities for any new information on the risk and suggested controls for management of COVID-19.
Maintain communication with staff on any government protocols.
Contact Safety Action on 03 9544 4300 or via email to book a COVID-19 site audit to ensure you have compliant and best practice procedures in place to manage the risk of infection and to ensure you are prepared to respond in the event of one in your workplace.
