COVID-19 : Precautions and Safety Measures in the Workplace
As we are all aware COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has hit our shores. Yesterday, the Victorian governmentย announcedย a State of Emergency which began on the 16th of March at midday and will be in place for the next 4 weeks, with the likelihood of being extended after that time.ย The Victorian Government will be enforcing self-isolation as part of this emergency for any person arriving into the country after midnight Sunday 15/03/2020.ย All citizens will need to isolate themselves at home for 14 days.
Whilst the government is putting plans in place to protect its citizens, employers can also put steps into place to help protect its employees, customers and suppliers.ย So, what can you do to help protect your staff and visitors to your workplace?ย Itโs simple:
- Good hygiene.ย Make sure staff wash their hands for 20 seconds, followed by hand sanitiser after going to the toilet, coughing, sneezing, blowing their nose.
- Cease shaking hands, hugging and all unnecessary forms of contact.ย Letโs become experts at the virtual handshake!
- Keeping sick employees away from the workplace.ย ย If you have an employee who isnโt well, make sure that they seek medical assistance and stay away until they are cleared to return to work.
- If an employee has a sick member of their household, they should also stay away from the workplace until the sickness has passed.
- Minimise the number of visitors to your workplace; where possible, put a temporary stop on unnecessary visitors.
- Minimise staff visiting other premises, i.e. clients and/or suppliers as much as possible.
- Ask all visitors who attend your workplace if they or someone they know have recently travelled overseas.ย If the answer is yes, consider asking them to leave the premises.ย Get all visitors to sanitise their hands upon entering your workplace.
Good Hygiene is in Your Hands
Have you recently travelled overseas?
