Covid-19 Policy — APAC Journey

Restrictions apply across many States and Territories to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Australia.
Under these restrictions, most permitted workplaces are allowed to operate on-site, and they must have a COVID Safe Plan in place.
Other countries are also subject to restrictions and responsibilities.

THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) REOPENING ROADMAP FOR INDUSTRY

The Australian Government has continued the Coronavirus (COVID-19) roadmap for reopening and is the overarching plan to reopen Australian businesses and industry to take safe, steady and sustainable steps out of restrictions and into COVID Normal. Each step of the roadmaps for reopening outlines the restriction levels that will apply to industries, businesses and workplaces during each step.

It also includes ‘trigger points’, which are a point for review by the public health team to consider any potential changes to the restrictions, based on coronavirus (COVID-19) case numbers, testing numbers and other factors. Public health advice is also provided at each step.

The sectors for changing industry restriction levels can include:

Construction — Heavily Restricted to Restricted
Manufacturing — Heavily Restricted to Restricted
Wholesale trade and warehousing — Heavily Restricted to Restricted
Postal distribution centres — Heavily Restricted to Restricted
Early childhood education and care — Restricted to open with a COVID Safe Plan.

Other industries can also be added to the Permitted Work Premises list. These workplaces will move from ‘Closed’ to a less restrictive setting based on the roadmaps for reopening.

Business and industry must operate based on the following COVIDSafe Principles:

Ensure physical distancing (1.5 metres)
Wear a face mask
Practice good hygiene
Keep good records and act quickly if staff become unwell
Avoid interactions in close spaces
Create workforce bubbles.

POLICY

APAC Journey Pty Ltd has a duty to provide and maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risks to the health of workers, as well as ensuring the safety and wellbeing of staff, Contractors and visitors it works with. This includes identifying risks to health or safety associated with potential exposure to the coronavirus.

APAC Journey Pty Ltd will assess the risk of exposure by talking to workers who have:

Direct contact with people who have recently travelled from overseas
Direct contact with sick or ill patients or customers who have symptoms associated with the virus
Travelled to travel overseas for work

APAC Journey Pty Ltd will also:

Monitor expert advice as the coronavirus situation develops (for example, from the Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Human Services)
Review infection control policies, procedures and practices, to ensure they are effective and are being followed
Educate and keep workers up to date on new information
Consider whether work activities put other people at risk
Ensure NO Work-related travel overseas is permit

APAC Journey Pty Ltd OBLIGATIONS

Under the Victorian current restrictions, APAC Journey Pty Ltd understands it may remain open and:

Develop and have a COVID Safe Plan, and attachment Plan where required in place that is regularly updated
Ensure that any workers that can work from home are able to do so
Collect records of all workers, subcontractors, customers and clients attending the work premises for 15 minutes or longer (certain exemptions will apply)
Ensure one worker per four square metres of enclosed workspace or in shared areas
Unless an exemption applies, ensure that workers do not work across multiple sites, or for multiple APAC Journey Pty Ltds
Ensure that workers are in good health - workers cannot work if they are unwell and APAC Journey Pty Ltds must not require workers with symptoms to work
If your worker is unwell, we will send them home and direct them to be tested. They must stay home until they have their result
Report any positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) to DHHS, Worksafe, Health and Safety Representatives, and notify your workforce
Regularly clean your facilities, shared spaces and provide additional cleaning supplies
Undertake risk assessments for cleaning and the potential closure of your workplace in certain situations

COVID 19 TESTING

The following information has been provided to staff and will be regularly updated and communicated:

If staff feel unwell, they must not go to work.
Staff must check their symptoms - they may have coronavirus (COVID-19) if they have any of the following: fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose and loss of sense of smell or taste.
Staff must get tested at a nearby testing location if they have any of the symptoms. They must return home immediately.
Staff must wait for test results. They must not go to work and must stay at home. It usually takes between 1 and 3 days for results to be returned. If staff are worried about results taking too long, they can call a service provider for more information.
If staff test negative, they can go about normal activity, following the restrictions for their location.
If staff tests positive DHHS will contact them. They will need to self-isolate for 14 days. Staff must not go to work.
If their condition worsens, they should contact their GP or a health professional. If staff become very unwell and are having trouble breathing they must contact triple zero (000), and may need to be admitted to hospital.
If staff have tested positive, they must self-isolate for 14 days and must have recovered before they can resume normal activity, following the restrictions for their location.

REPORTING A CONFIRMED COVID 19 DIAGNOSIS

APAC Journey Pty Ltd will ensure all APAC Journey Pty Ltd and self-employed persons, with management or control of a workplace notifies WorkSafe immediately after becoming aware that:

An employee, independent contractor, employee of the independent contractor or self-employed person has received a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus (COVID-19) and;
The employee, independent contractor, employee of the independent contractor or self-employed person has attended the workplace within the relevant infection period.
APAC Journey Pty Ltd will Notify WorkSafe immediately on 13 23 60 and complete relevant paperwork.

Reporting Form: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/form/confirmed-covid-19-diagnosis-rep

SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT

APAC Journey Pty Ltd will ensure that communication about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment will be discussed and made available to all workers. This includes educating workers of clinical symptoms which have been reported in identified cases of novel coronavirus. These symptoms include:

Fever
A cough
Sore throat
Fatigue
Difficulty breathing

Workers will be advised that anyone with these symptoms should be tested at one of the State’s Self-Assessment Centres/Medical Centre/GP/Hospital. There is no specific treatment for COVID-19 infection.

FACE MASKS

All People living in metropolitan Melbourne will be required to wear a face covering when leaving home. This includes going to work and in the workplace. There may be some reasons not to wear a face covering. For example, those who have a medical reason, those who have a professional reason or if it’s just not practical, like when running – however you will still be expected to carry your face covering at all times to wear when you can.

SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS

Social distancing includes ways to stop or slow the spread of infectious diseases. It means less contact between workers and other people. Actions include:

Workers and customers should maintain a distance of 1.5 metres at all times where practical
COVID Safe Plan in place
Display signs showing patron limits at the entrance to enclosed areas where limits apply
Density quotient applied to shared spaces (e.g. workspace, tearooms) and publicly accessible places
Use floor markings and physical barriers in high traffic areas to provide minimum physical distancing guides
Minimise the build-up of people waiting to enter and exit the workplace
Provide training to staff on physical distancing expectations while working and socialising (including during lunch breaks)
Avoid carpooling where possible (unless with members of your household)
Promote contactless payments such as 'tap and go’ and other electronic payment processes instead of cash

Social distancing is important because COVID-19 is most likely to spread from person-to-person through:

Direct close contact with a person while they are infectious or in the 24 hours before their symptoms appeared
Close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes, or
Touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection, and then touching mouth or face.

All workers will be advised that if they are sick, they MUST stay away from others. Workers will also be advised of the practise of good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
Cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser
If unwell, avoid contact with others (stay more than 1.5 metres from people).

To reduce the spread of germs in the workplace, workers will be advised that only essential work in the workplace is possible and to:

Stay at home if they are sick
Stop handshaking as a greeting
Hold meetings via video conferencing or phone call
Defer large meetings
Hold essential meetings outside in the open air if possible
Promote good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene and provide hand sanitisers for all workers and workers
Take lunch at your desk or outside rather than in the lunch room
Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces regularly
Consider opening windows and adjusting air conditioning for more ventilation
Limit food handling and sharing of food in the workplace
Reconsider non-essential business travel
Promote strictest hygiene among food preparation (canteen) workers and their close contacts
Consider if large gatherings can be rescheduled, staggered or cancelled

COMMUNICATION WITH WORKERS

APAC Journey Pty Ltd will continually work with all workers to ensure control measures are implemented. APAC Journey Pty Ltd will implement an infection control process that includes advice for workers showing signs and symptoms to remain at home and seek medical advice. APAC Journey Pty Ltd will provide adequate facilities or products (such as hand sanitiser/masks where possible) to allow workers to maintain good hygiene practices

If a worker thinks they may be at risk of infection of coronavirus:

The worker should raise this with their manager immediately.
The APAC Journey Pty Ltd may ask the worker to seek medical clearance, or work from home during the risk period.
If workers are not fit for work due to contracting coronavirus, they should follow the medical advice to remain isolated for 14 days.

REGULAR & EFFECTIVE HAND HYGIENE

APAC Journey Pty Ltd has provided sinks/basins with hot and cold running water, soap, clean disposable towels or a hand dryer, and a ‘hands free’ bin for disposal. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers can be used when hands are not visibly dirty. If hands are visibly dirty, they should be washed with soap and water. Hand sanitisers will not be provided as the only hand hygiene option as there are times when soap and water should be used instead, for example when hands are visibly dirty or after going to the toilet.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Health authorities has recommended workers who develop symptoms at work be given a disposable surgical-style face mask to wear to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Masks should be removed and disposed of safely when they become moist or after coughing and sneezing. So as not to spread infection, it is important masks are correctly applied, not touched or handled when worn, and are correctly disposed of. Other masks that are designed to filter airborne particles may be recommended for people who have a greater risk of exposure to the disease such as healthcare and quarantine workers. APAC Journey Pty Ltd will provide detailed information to support the use of PPE during this pandemic.

All workers should be given a copy of this policy and regular safety meetings (over the phone/email/skype or face to face where possible) will be conducted to ensure all workers are aware of the company policy and procedures.

All aspects of our compliance with this industry-based OH&S Standard Policy will be constantly monitored with regular performance to review its effectiveness, and to ensure that Duty of Care is correctly applied and adequately maintained.

As representative of its development and our mutual commitment, this policy/procedure is endorsed by:

Director/s: Shaun Knott

This policy will be reviewed on 11/06/2022

CORONAVIRUS COVID19 POLICY

INTRODUCTION