22 | OH&S
COVID-19 – Your storage facility related OHS FAQs By Stephen Pehm, OHS Consultant – Action OHS Consulting.
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any storage facilities have continued to operate with employees at work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand facilities are also now open. Most facilities by now have implemented changes reflecting a focus on continuous cleaning and disinfecting regimes, as well as social distancing measures. In this article we answer some commonly asked questions that you may have in relation to working in a post COVID-19 world.
What can I do to support my employees? Your workers may still be nervous about travelling to and from work on public transport (in spite of social distancing laws) and working in close proximity to colleagues. Are you doing the following to support them? l Ensure that a cleaning program is in place with at least daily sanitisation of commonly used areas. l Ensure that ample supplies of personal cleaning equipment are available to employees. Consult with them in determining these. l If working in shifts, try to minimise contact between each shift team. l Support spreading commuter loads on public transport by staggering start and end times for workers. l Provide signage, direction, and barriers to ensure that social distancing rules are maintained. l Consider providing sanitiser for visitors to use upon entering and exiting your workplace. Screen them to ensure that they are feeling well. l Mandate that all workers who do not feel well must remain at home and encourage them to get tested for COVID-19. l Be prepared to close the workplace down and send all workers home in the event of a worker in the workplace developing COVID-19.
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How can I get my workforce involved in our ‘new normal’? It is important to involve your workers continuously when making decisions about how to return to work or any other changes you are making to manage COVID-19. Involving your team in the design of control initiatives, inspecting workplace(s) to ensure that implemented controls are still in place, encouraging stakeholders to report issues including breaches of the rules, and taking action to resolve these are essential to manage this risk.
How can I continue to Support My Employees? It is likely that many of us will continue to be nervous. Steps that could be taken to assure nervous employees may include: l Permitting employees in noncustomer facing roles to remain working from home and checking in frequently to determine a future return date.
l Where possible empowering employees to determine their work start times to facilitate travel on less crowded public transport. Blended work days incorporating home and office based work may also be an option. l Ensuring that employees, no matter how senior, who breach COVID-19 control rules are appropriately counselled not to do it again. This would include immediately sending home employees who present with cold/flu like symptoms. l Supporting what is being done to control COVID-19 with signage and visible direction. Visible examples of your commitment to managing the COVID-19 risk will be constantly reassuring to your employees. l Listen and taking action to address employee concerns and reviewing the effectiveness of what is done. l Employees who are distressed about returning to work may benefit from assistance from a mental health professional via an Employee Assistance Scheme or similar
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