Step up workplace cleaning for COVID-19 pandemic; More work-related COVID-19 developments from around the country; and Employer and director face more dangerous goods charges. LINK: https://www.ohsalert.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?selkey=55842
Flattening the curve – or slowing the continued spread of COVID-19 has created a scary paradox of restrictions for businesses large and small. Isolation is necessary to keep the virus at bay and hospital intakes are at workable levels (and we want to keep our loved ones safe and healthy), but doing so wreaks havoc on our economy. When businesses lose their ability to turn a profit (or even open their doors), employees lose their income, meaning they don’t have money to pay their bills, let alone help keep local business afloat – leading to more layoffs. Recognising the devastating affect this will have for hundreds of thousands of Australians and businesses, the Aussie Government has come to the table with a continually re-evaluated raft of financial support measures for individuals, employers and businesses to give them their best chance of getting back on their feet when the crisis has passed. The current state of play for COVID-19 restrictions Australia is close to a nationwide Stage 3 shutdown, though each State and Territory is responsible for setting their own restrictions - you can find detailed information on their website. Current restrictions include: Public gatherings, excluding household members, have been reduced to a maximum of two people. Everyone should stay home
It’s hard enough amidst the COVID-19 crisis, working out the when to shut up shop to protect your business and staff members, but wondering whether you’re meeting your legal responsibilities can add to the stress. To help, the Australian Government have created some easy tip sheets and guidelines for businesses owners and employees. During the COVID-19 crisis, should I stand down my staff, offer a redundancy or let them go? While many businesses are choosing to create an online workforce, for some industries, like hospitality or health, this isn’t possible and for others the work has slowed down so much that going virtual isn't necessarily helpful. For many employers, there will come a point where changes will need to be made to to the workforce to match the workload and the bottom line. In order to determine what actions you can lawfully make as an employer, should your business be suffering or have to close as a result of COVID-19, the Fair Work Act is your best source of information and advice. They explain your options include: Standing employees down for the duration of COVID-19 related closures – this means they remain employed for the period of the stand down without pay. Seeking employees’ agreement to take paid (or unpaid) leave for a period. This will usually require
While health officials and experts around the globe recommend soap and proper handwashing as the best defence against COVID-19, there are many benefits of hand sanitiser that make it the more appealing option. The National Hand Hygiene Initiative in Australia have outlined some of these benefits - it only takes 15-20 seconds to de-contaminate hands with hand sanitiser (although unlike soap and water it does not remove all types of microbes), most formulas are less irritating and drying than soap and water, you don’t need paper towels to finish the job and there are times when running water and soap aren’t available (like during a meeting at work). You can read more on how to keep yourself safe from COVID-19 at work here. The key ingredient in any DIY sanitiser is alcohol This is because alcohol is effective at killing different types of microbes, including both viruses and bacteria. However, the standard vodka you may have sitting in your cupboard at home is unlikely to be effective because many research studies have found that an alcohol concentration of 60 percent or greater is needed to be effective while most drinking vodkas clock in around the 40 percent mark. For this reason, you’ll need to make a trip to your local hardware store or chemist for isopropyl alcohol. Gel
Cleancorp Cleancorp are the undisputed experts in providing cleaning services to business premises in Australia and New Zealand. With surfaces a key transmission point for the disease, workers are under pressure to protect others as well as themselves from COVID-19. “It’s been very busy, we jumped from working eight hours a day to almost 24 hours, seven days a week to keep up with demand" said Lisa Macqueen, CEO.
