[Name of Organisation] 

Work Health and Safety Policy and Procedure during COVID-19 

 

Introduction  

COVID-19 is a respiratory virus that primarily spreads through droplets of an infected person when he or she coughs or sneezes, or through the droplets of saliva. With several hundred thousand of confirmed cases and thousands of deaths in over 200 countries, every country is taking the best measure possible to break the chain, and Australia is no exception.   

However, whatever the situation is, life will go on, and in Australia, shearing too. Being listed as an essential industry under ‘Level 2’ restrictions through the Agricultural business listing, work will continue in shearing during the COVID-19 outbreak.  

But everyone has to be careful. A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) should ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their [YOUR COMPANY NAME] workers and others at the workplace. This includes offering and maintaining a work environment that is without risks to health and safety. 

A business [YOUR COMPANY NAME] should recognize hazards at the workplace, and the associated risks, and do what is plausibly practicable to eliminate the risks or to minimise the risks if elimination is not reasonably practicable. PCBUs need to keep up-to-date with the latest COVID-19 information and advice to make sure that any action taken is measured and suitable. It includes closely monitoring the Australian Government Department of Health, and any advice from state or federal government agencies. 

An appropriate range of action for your company [NAME] may include: 

  • monitoring official Government sources for the latest information and advice 

  • reviewing and promoting your company’s policies and procedures for infection control 

  • making sure workers are aware of the isolation/quarantine periods as per the advice from the Australian Government Department of Health  

  • offering regular updates to workers about the situation and any changes to the organisational policies or procedures 

  • offering workers with information and links to applicable services should they require support. 

Purpose/Objective 

The following outlines [YOUR COMPANY NAME]’s policy and procedures for raising awareness about the risks of COVID-19 to shearers and others involved with the shearing facility and offering assistance to them to work safely by following the safety measures and maintaining social distancing.    

Application 

This policy is applicable to all working in the facility [YOUR COMPANY NAME]. The company will encourage a healthy approach by educating and training employees about the COVID-19 pandemic, how it is affecting and the measures to be taken to stay safe and healthy during the bad times.    

Identifying COVID-19 Related Symptoms   

Caused by a type of coronavirus, COVID-19 is an infectious disease that can affect your lungs and airways. COVID-19 affects different people in diverse ways. While asymptomatic patients don’t show any symptoms (that is most dangerous); other infected ones will develop mild to moderate symptoms.  

The common symptoms include: 

  • Fever (a high temperature) 

  • Dry cough  

  • Tiredness  

Some also experience: 

  • Sore throat  

  • Runny nose  

  • Pains and aches  

  • Nasal congestion 

  • Temporary loss of smell  

On average, it takes 5 to 6 days from when someone is infected to show the symptoms, but it can take up to 14 days. An affected person can pass on the virus to others even without knowing they have it.  

Assessing the Risk 

All shearing facilities should assess the risk (after consulting with their workers) and look for ways to minimise the spread of the virus. These can include – 

  • Ceasing all non-essential work activities, which involve close personal contact (less than 2m) 

  • Implementing controls to reduce direct contact as much as possible, including: 

  • Social distancing of at least 2m 

  • Barriers to creating space between workstations and seated areas  

  • Supporting flexible work arrangements  

  • Employing controls to reduce environmental exposure, including: 

  • Increasing cleaning and disinfection of shared surfaces  

  • Offering cleaning products and instruction for cleaning workspaces  

  • Offering instruction and amenities for personal hygiene and infection control  

Controlling the Risk 

There is a strict physical distancing measure on the Australian Government Department of Health website. Being the employee, you should go through the website and implement appropriate controls in order to manage the risk of exposure to COVID-19. The major things that should be stressed on are –  

  • Maintain good hygiene and sanitation of the workplace  

  • Employ physical distancing – keeping everyone at the workplace at least 2m physically apart, and  

  • Ensure people cover their mouths while sneezing or coughing  

Besides, you can  

  • Ask shearers to work in the shift to avoid crowd, and   

  • Do what you can reasonably to minimise or eliminate the risk of people at your workplace during this pandemic  

Information, Education and Training  

Farmers, shearers and anyone involved in the shearing industry can be affected by COVID-19. To lower such possibility and ensure the safety of workers, employers can provide proper information, training and education to all employees. With this, they will know how to work safely in this situation.  

The training program should offer information about: 

  • Guidelines of WHO 

  • Symptoms of COVID-19 

  • How does it affect people  

  • Importance of social distancing  

  • Significance of proper sanitization  

  • How to wash hands properly 

  • Importance of covering the face 

  • Precautions to be taken  

  • Sheep handling principles 

  • Using, handling and disinfecting gears  

  • Manually handling sheep  

  • Fasting time for sheep based on their ages and physical conditions  

Training should also cover: 

  • How to maintain self-isolation if needed 

  • Things need to be done in an emergency situation  

  • Arrangement for calling emergency services  

A training program should be scheduled after a certain interval to enhance knowledge and provide the latest information on the disease.  

Responsibilities  

Responsibilities of Employers  

Employers have several responsibilities to ensure safety, including - 

  • Make sure you, the shearers and others working in the facility should maintain a distance of at least 2m at all time irrespective of working or talking  

  • Provide soaps, alcohol-based hand sanitizer  or other hand-washing facilities to everyone in the workplace, ensure everyone should wash their hands frequently with soaps or hand-sanitizer at least for 20 seconds  

  • Ensure that no one shake hands and everyone cover their mouths while sneezing or coughing either with a clean tissue or with their elbow  

  • Disinfect the work facility after the shearers arrive  

  • Make sure that no visitors, along with children, come to the work station. Ask the shearers not to bring their children. Put up a warning notice to prohibit entrance  

  • Make sure that shearing equipment are disinfected after every use  

  •  Encourage employees feeling unwell to go home and take leave  

  • Update employees about the current situation  

  • Remind them to maintain social distancing even outside the workplace  

  • Encourage remote communication  

  • The Shearing industry will be under huge pressure this year. Make sure to have well-presented sheep ready to be shorn when the shearers arrive. And follow these practices –  

  • Proper designed handling system 

  • Take proper measure to make sure sheep presented for shearing don’t have full stomachs, by ensuring proper fasting without food or water ahead of shearing 

  • No wet sheep  

  • Never combine parasite control, drenching, or other procedures at the same time as shearing 

  • Offer a safe, clean, dry and disinfected area for shearing  

Responsibilities of Employees  

Employees also have certain responsibilities. They should  

  • Wash hands with soaps or alcohol-based sanitiser at least for 20 seconds  

  • Don’t shake hands with anyone  

  • Cover mouth when coughing or sneezing  

  • Maintain  at least 2m distancing from others every time be it in races, shearing pens or during breaks  

  • Avoid entering pens at the same time  

  • After shearing, kick wool off the board to keep a minimum 2m distance for the wool wrapper at all times or use a broom to pull the wool off the boards  

  • Change clothes after sharing and put them in a different bag for washing  

  • Don’t share cups, water  bottles or towels (Avoid sharing foods too) 

  • Consult with a health care professional if you don’t feel well  

  • Inform employer if they notice anyone with the symptoms of COVID-19 in the workplace facility  

 

Implementation and Review  

The successful implementation and establishment of this policy is the responsibility of all employees of [YOUR COMPANY NAME]. The company will monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Policy and Procedures in a certain interval.  

Date: 

 

 

Disclaimer  

After conducting thorough research and going through studies on COVID-19, the guidelines, the current situation, how work can take place in the Australian shearing industry without affecting the health and safety of the workers, this document is prepared. When preparing the document, we have verified the information that we come in contact with before making them a part of this document.  

But this should be remembered that the core objective of this document is to inform and aware people of the recent epidemic that has already affected over two hundred countries, and the measures to be taken in such a dreadful situation if people involved in Australian shearing industry continue to work.  

Moreover, it is stated not to consider this document as the final outcome. Shearquantity.com and [YOUR COMPANY NAME] are not liable if anyone by any chance, is directly or indirectly, injured, harmed or affected when using Work Health and Safety Policy and Procedure during COVID-19. 

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