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Coronavirus (COVID-19): Work Health and Safety 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Work Health and Safety

As Australia monitors the extent and spread of the novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country, the NSCA Foundation urges organisations to exercise best practice to protect workers, and the greater community.

 

COVID-19 is the most recently discovered coronavirus. According to World Health Organization (WHO), which declared the virus a pandemic on 11 March 2020, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause respiratory infections varying from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

We have compiled information from Australian authorities and advice from governments managing the crisis on their home-fronts.

A COVID-19 planning tool

The Australian Governement established the National COVID-19 Coordination Committee (NCCC) to coordinate advice to the government on actions to anticipate and mitigate the economic and social impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

An online planning tool has been developed by NCCC to help organisations keep workers, customers and the community safe as they plan to reopen or increase business activities. The tool, which should take approximately 30 minutes to complete, collates information from across government on the range of help and assistance available to support businesses. It complements the Safe Work Australia COVID-19 online hub, which remains the definitive source of information for businesses to understand their work health and safety obligations.

National COVID-19 information hub for work health and safety

Safe Work Australia has developed a centralised COVID-19 online information hub for work health and safety (WHS). Both businesses and workers can access nationally consistent, industry specific guidance and tools to manage workplace risks posed by COVID-19.  

A filter at the top of the information hub provides users quick and easy access to specific COVID-19 information. The filter delivers information by sorting variables by:

  • employers, small business, or workers
  • the industry they work in, and
  • the work health and safety topic of interest.

Industry information is provided for 23 industries, plus general industry information is available for those industries not listed. Industries include:

  • Agriculture
  • Building and construction
  • Delivery drivers  
  • Early childhood education
  • Fly-in and fly-out and Drive-in and drive-out 
  • Food processing and manufacturing
  • Energy and Utilities
  • Hospitality 
  • In-home services
  • Office  
  • Public transport 
  • Retail 
  • Road freight 
  • Stevedores and ports 
  • Taxi and ride share
  • Trades and home maintenance
  • Warehousing and logistics

Various topics of interest to choose from range from duties under WHS laws, cleaning, working from home, mental health, workers’ rights, vunerable workers, and much more. Safe Work Australia continues to develop new information and guidance and their website will be updated with new information as the the COVID-19 situation evolves. 

Advice for PCBUs

The responsibilities and current advice for Australian workplaces, particularly for the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), that have been stipulated by Safe Work Australia and Comcare.

PCBU control measures to protect workers and others at a workplace

Under the work health and safety laws, a PCBU is required to ensure the health and safety of their workers and others at the workplace. This includes providing and maintaining a work environment that is without risk to health and safety and adequate facilities for workers in carrying out their work, so far as is reasonably practicable.

To comply with the model WHS laws, PCBUs must have measures in place to eliminate or manage the risks arising from COVID-19.

In order to do this, you need to remain informed with the latest COVID-19 updates and advice to ensure appropriate action is taken. You can do this by closely monitoring information and updates provided by the Australian Government Department of Health, the Smartraveller website and advice from state or territories agencies, such as health departments and WHS regulators (information and resource links are provided below.

Complete elimination of the risk of workers contracting COVID-19 while conducting their work may not be possible. Nevertheless, the duty to do all that is reasonably practicable to minimise this risk should be adhered to. Safe Work Australia provides general advice for PCBUs to protect workers and others at the workplace (points below are taken directly from Safe Work Australia):

  • determine appropriate control measures in consultation with workers, their representatives and taking account of official information sources
  • implement those measures and clearly communicate them to all workers, including providing clear direction and guidance about what is expected of workers
    • workers should know when to stay away from the workplace
    • what action to take if they become unwell, and
    • what symptoms to be concerned about
  • continually monitor relevant information sources and update control measures when and if necessary. PCBUs should continue to provide information to workers, including changes to control measures, as the situation develops
  • provide workers with continued access to official government sources for current information and advice
  • provide workers with appropriate personal protective equipment and facilities, and information and training on how and why they are required to use them
  • require workers to practice good hygiene, including:
    • frequent hand washing
    • limiting contact with others, including through shaking hands, and
    • covering their mouths while coughing or sneezing
  • require workers to stay away from the workplace if they are unwell and not fit for work, and encourage them to seek medical advice as appropriate
  • seek advice from health authorities immediately if there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 in your workplace
  • limit access to the workplace by other people, unless necessary
  • reconsider work-related travel and implement other methods of communication
    • for example, rather than requiring employees to undertake air travel to attend face to face meetings, facilitate attendance by tele or videoconference
  • remind workers that they have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and to not adversely affect the health and safety of others.
  • provide workers with a point of contact to discuss their concerns, and access to support services, including employee assistance programs
  • allow workers to access available entitlements in line with obligations under any applicable enterprise agreement, award, employees’ contracts of employment, and workplace policies.

PCBUs directing a worker to stay away from their usual place of work

The model WHS laws require you, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the health and safety of your workers and others at the workplace. Therefore, you must identify risks at the workplace and action what is reasonably practicable to eliminate those risks, otherwise minimise them where this is not reasonably practicable.

Safe Work Australia provides examples.

"In discharging your WHS duties you may undertake a risk assessment and form the view, based on all the available information from health authorities and having consulted with your workers, that an appropriate control measure to eliminate or minimise a risk to workers and/or other people at the usual workplace, is to require workers and other people to stay away from the usual place of work. Depending on the circumstances, you might also determine that it is appropriate for workers to work from another location, including their home.

For other PCBUs this approach may not be reasonably practicable (e.g. a workplace that relies on specialised plant or equipment) but there might be other controls that would minimise the risk of infection such as implementing other forms of social distancing or delaying non-essential tasks. There is no one size fits all approach."

In the event worker is confirmed to have COVID-19, you should ensure that the worker does not return to work while they are infectious.

In general, active consideration should be taken into the context of your business or undertaking, the specifics of your workplace and all the workers and others to whom the organisation owes a WHS duty. After that, it is important that every action that you can reasonably undertake to eliminate or minimise any risks to health and safety is then implemented.

  • consult with affected workers and their representatives and, where relevant, Health and Safety Representatives
  • consider what workplace or other laws might prevent the action being taken
  • keep up to date with information about the risk and appropriate control measures such as official information sources and guidance materials
  • seek advice specific to their circumstances, including from employee and employer organisations and legal providers

More information about duties to consult workers is provided in the model Code of Practice: Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination.

Workplace hygiene

Everyone in the workplace must adopt good hygiene to protect against infection and prevent the coronavirus from spreading. Good hygiene practices include:

  • covering your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue
  • properly disposing tissues
  • washing your hands often with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet
  • using alcohol-based hand sanitisers
  • cleaning and disinfecting surfaces
  • if you are sick, avoiding contact with others and staying more than 1.5 metres away from people

Social distancing and limits on public gatherings

Australians are advised to work from home if possible. For those who must attend the workplace, the following social distancing steps must be adhered to:

  • stop shaking hands to greet others
  • consider cancelling non-essential meetings. If needed, hold meetings via video conferencing or phone call
  • put off large meetings to a later date
  • hold essential meetings outside in the open air if possible
  • promote good hand, sneeze and cough hygiene
  • provide alcohol-based hand rub for all staff
  • eat lunch at your desk or outside rather than in the lunch room
  • regularly clean and disinfect surfaces that many people touch
  • open windows or adjust air conditioning for more ventilation
  • limit food handling and sharing of food in the workplace
  • avoid non-essential travel
  • promote strict hygiene among food preparation (canteen) staff and their close contacts

Visit the Australian Government Department of Health webpage for more information on limits to essential and non-essential gatherings and check the current restrictions of your state or territory.

The Australian Government Department of Health provides further advice for the health care and aged care sector.

Resources and links

Review the websites from national, state and territory agencies and departs for the latest information and advice. You can also, obtain help and information from your local General Practitioner or Community Health Centre.

Comcare

A guidance for workers and employers on work health and safety and workers’ compensation in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak has been issued by Comcare. It includes information and advice on WHS obligations, managing risks and compensation coverage.

Safe Work Australia

New South Wales

Victoria

Queensland

Northern Territory

Tasmania

State and territory health departments and other agencies

New South Wales

Victoria

Northern Territory

Australian Capital Territory

Western Australia

Queensland

Other sources

Mental Health Support

The COVID-19 outbreak may be causing stress and mental health should be taken into consideration. If you require support or resources, contact or review:

 

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