The coronavirus has had a staggering impact on Australian businesses. The National Cabinet has developed industry-specific workplace health and safety guidelines around COVID-19.
Following are the key principles that plans should include:
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Principle 1Conduct a Hazard Analysis
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Principle 2Identify the Critical Control Points
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Principle 3Establish Critical Limits
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Principle 4Monitor CCP
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Principle 5Establish Corrective Action
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Principle 6Verification
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Principle 7Recordkeeping
- The degree of contact with the public.
- The vulnerability of the public involved. e.g. are there many older people.
- The number of workers in the facility and the size of the facility
- The capacity for remote activity.
- Coverage for critical staff members if they become ill.
- Frequency of surface contact throughout the facility including necessary cleaning regimes and types of cleaning products required.
- Need for PPE. Masks are not recommended in non-health settings.
- Ability to cohort key staff into separate groups.
- Capacity to monitor and test staff who are ill.
- State compliance and jurisdiction.
Injurynet ‘s COVID-19 plan for recovery services are available to support businesses and organisations in the implementation and continual monitoring of their risk assessment and management plan so that employers can continue to operate. Our services support and reassure employers and employees as they manage COVID-19 health risks, exposures and cases so that both employees and communities stay safe and healthy.
We can assist in providing answers to the following common questions including:
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When should we let employees back into the workplace?
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Are there any steps we can take to reduce our risks associated with employees returning to the workplace?
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Is it safe for employees to travel on public transport?
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Should we test employee temperatures when they attend work?
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What should we do when we identify an employee with a raised temperature?
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Should all staff wear masks?
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Is there anything we can do about our workspace and workflow design to reduce the risk?
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What should we do if an employee is suspected of or has a confirmed case of COVID-19 or has been in contact with someone who has?
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Should an unwell employee come to work?
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After illness, when are employees safe to return to the workplace?
For more information about this topic, download our brochure COVID-19 Plan for the Recovery of Your Business.
The next step is to plan for how the business can adjust and bounce back in a safe manner, as quickly as possible. Australian businesses have been given a new set of rules on how to manage workplaces during the coronavirus pandemic. These national workplace principles were recently released by the Prime Minister after consultation with key groups. The broad outline of what is required under these national workplace principles is available on the following link: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces/other-resources/national-covid-19-safe-workplace-principles
