providing appropriate personal protective equipment, including information or training on why the equipment is required and how to safely use it.providing adequate facilities or products (such as hand sanitiser, where available) to allow employees to maintain good hygiene practices.implementing physical distancing initiatives in accordance with recommendations made by the Victorian Minister for Health.The type of control measures required depends on associated risks as well as the availability and suitability of controls for each workplace. For more information see the guidance Managing COVID-19 risks: Face masks in workplaces. Pandemic Orders made by the Victorian Minister for Health about face masks are in place across Victoria. Where a risk to health is identified at a workplace, employers must eliminate the risk so far as is reasonably practicable and when elimination is not possible, reduce the risk so far as is reasonably practicable. talking to employees who have travelled or are planning to travel.considering whether undertaking work activities puts other people (such as clients or members of the public) at risk of exposure to COVID-19.educating and keeping employees up to date on new information.reviewing infection control policies, procedures and practices, to ensure they are effective and are being followed.monitoring expert advice as the COVID-19 situation develops (for example, from the Department of Health (DH) – link below).Identifying the risks associated can include: This includes identifying risks to health or safety associated with potential exposure to COVID-19. People may also become infected by touching surfaces that have been contaminated by the virus, and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth without cleaning their hands.Įmployers have 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 employees. The risk of transmission is highest when close to the source, where the concentration of these droplets is greatest. Transmission occurs where exhaled droplets from a person with COVID-19 come into contact with another person’s mucosal surfaces (nose, mouth or eyes). In these kinds of settings, the virus may remain suspended in the air for longer and increase the risk of spread as people tend to spend longer periods in indoor settings. Airborne transmission is more likely to occur in indoor or enclosed settings that are poorly ventilated, crowded, or both. These may be inhaled by people who have not had face-to-face contact or been in the same space with the infectious person. While the risk of transmission is highest when close to an infectious person, air currents can disperse small droplets and particles over long distances. This occurs when a person inhales aerosols that may contain viral particles that are infectious. Transmission of COVID-19 can occur in a number of ways, and possibly in combination. Small droplets and particles are often referred to as 'aerosols'. Very fine droplets may contain the virus, and can stay suspended in the air for anywhere from minutes to hours. Small droplets remain suspended in the air for longer periods. Large droplets settle out of the air faster than they evaporate. This can happen when they breathe out, cough, sneeze, speak, shout or sing.Įxhaled droplets range in size. The main way COVID-19 spreads is when a person with COVID-19 exhales droplets and/or aerosol particles containing the virus.
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that can result in mild to very severe illness and death. Researchers are still learning about COVID-19, its long-term effects and emerging variants. Employees must also comply with their duties under the OHS Act. You must follow any Pandemic Orders that apply to how your business must operate, and ensure that you are meeting your obligations under the OHS Act. However having a COVIDSafe Plan and complying with the Victorian Pandemic Orders does not necessarily mean you have complied with your duties under the OHS Act and OHS Regulations. Preparation of a COVIDSafe Plan forms part of the development of a safe system of work. There is no change to your obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) as a result of Pandemic Orders issued by the Victorian Minister for Health. How are my occupational health and safety (OHS) obligations impacted by the restrictions?
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