OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE

There are a range of comprehensive online public resources we utilise to ensure we remain informed at all times. We continue to engage with regulators to advocate issues of importance for Australian agriculture and recommend our clients also follow these reliable sources where applicable:

• Federal and State Department of Health websites, 
• World Health Organisation website, 
• Australian Government Coronavirus App, 
• ABC news alerts, 
• Meet as required to discuss any changes and their implications. 

Helpful Resource

This is an excellent resource for any primary production operation:  https://www.horticulture.com.au/growers/covid/

We are committed to maintaining frequent communication with staff and other stakeholders to ensure they are informed about current government restrictions and your organisational response. To achieve this, Agri Labour Australia will:

• Call clients regularly to share information and to coordinate our activities,
• Ask clients to explain the measures they are taking to protect our workers,
• Provide frequent written updates to clients,
• Require all candidates to complete online video training in Coronavirus Prevention and Management,
• Provide frequent written updates to candidates,
• Meet with all internal staff twice weekly to share developments and seek feedback,
• Meet regularly as a management team to discuss developments and our response

We Recommend Clients

• Provide regular briefings to all staff and contractors on current government restrictions and your organisational response,
• Provide training and instruction to ensure staff understand and can follow the measures your organisation has taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,
• Provide staff with a method for raising concerns and suggestions, and
• Discuss with Agri Labour Australia the measures we are taking so we can coordinate our response.

While restrictions have lifted in many places, social distancing must still be observed where specified – especially in any identified ‘hotspots’.

In the event of a significant outbreak and government announcement instructing us to implement strict social distancing:

Agri Labour Australia Will 

• Require all internal staff to work from home, 
• Defer all non-essential face-to face meetings, instead utilising videoconferencing, and 
• Defer all non-essential travel.
  

We Recommend Our Clients 

• Instruct all staff who can, to work from home (e.g. administration, payroll), 
• Defer all nonessential meetings and travel, 
• Prevent visitors from attending work sites, 
• Consider ways to limit the number of close contacts each employee might be exposed to during their working day, for example by:
  • Breaking workforces into smaller teams and limiting intermingling between teams, 
  • Grouping people who live or travel together in the same work team, 
  • Breaking workforces into shifts and preventing intermingling at shift change over, 
  • Requiring teams to wear different colours, to help identify team members, 
  • Staggering break times so teams aren’t taking breaks together, 
  • Physically separating workstations to observe the 1.5m distance between people, 
  • Installing physical barriers between workstations, and 
  • Reducing the number of chairs in lunch and break rooms and spacing them at least 1.5m apart. 

We can protect ourselves from the coronavirus and other air born infections by practicing high levels of personal hygiene at all times and by encouraging others to do the same. To achieve this: 

Agri Labour Australia Will

• Require all candidates to complete online video training that includes hand washing procedures and other personal hygiene measures, and
• Provide clients with posters and other resources that can be displayed in the workplace to inform workers about good personal hygiene practices.

We Recommend Our Clients

• Ensure there are adequate supplies of soap, hand sanitiser and paper towels at each work location,
• Provide personal hygiene instruction and training to all employees, and
• Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces such as benchtops, controls, switches and door handles.

Given the traditional flu season is about to commence, it is likely at some time over the coming months that someone attending work will present with flu like symptoms and until that person is tested, we won’t know if they have the coronavirus.  Our response at this time will determine if others are placed at risk of exposure. If business leaders are to prevent contamination and panic from spreading within their workforces, our organisations must identify potential cases and respond quickly and effectively. To achieve this: 

Agri Labour Australia Will 

• Provide all our supervisors and candidates with online video training that includes the symptoms to be aware of and the requirement to immediately report flu like symptoms, 
• Require all newly placed candidates to complete a signed declaration indicating if they currently have flu symptoms, 
• Conduct pre-start temperature testing of our workers on sites where mutually agreed with our clients (subject to the availability of non-contact thermometers), 
• Direct our employees who exhibit flu like symptoms to self-isolate in their home, 
• Provide instructions to our employees who are directed to self-isolate on how to effectively self-isolate, 
• Arrange self-isolating employees with an outside contact who can bring groceries and supplies, 
• Make regular contact with those who are self-isolating to check on their welfare and ensure they are following instructions, 
• Keep our clients informed of candidates who have been directed to self-isolate, and 
• Consult our clients about the arrangements for our workers to return to work once they receive a medical clearance to return to work.
  

We Recommend Our Clients 

• Provide training and instruction to all employees requiring them to report the onset of any flu like symptoms, 
• Establish a method for detecting employees who are exhibiting flu like symptoms and have not self-reported, 
• Prepare clear instructions so employees who have to self-isolate know what to do, 
• Ensure employees who have to self-isolate are provide with practical and emotional support, including by arranging for groceries and supplies to be delivered to their home, and 
• Prepare clear guidance regarding when a person who has been required to self-isolate, may return to the workplace. 

Despite best efforts, the risk of someone being diagnosed with Covid-19 remains until the vaccine roll out is completed. To avoid this, our organisations must have a clear plan in place that prioritises isolation, decontamination and contact tracing.

In preparation for a positive coronavirus diagnosis:

Agri Labour Australia Will

• Maintain a register of accommodation and travel arrangements for all our workers, so we can quickly identify other workers who are likely to have had close contact with an ill worker, and
• Prepare instruction and guidance for workers confirmed to have the coronavirus so they are clear about what they must do and the help and support they have available to them.

We Recommend Our Clients

• Have a clear plan for making the workplace safe through cleaning and decontaminating and potentially by shutting all or part of their operation, and
• Communicate this plan to your workforce and to other stakeholders including labour hire providers, contractors, suppliers and customers.

In response to a positive coronavirus diagnosis: 

Agri Labour Australia Will 

• Ensure our client is informed, 
• Direct the affected employee to self-isolate in their home, if they are not already, 
• Where possible and if necessary, arrange for a private car to be driven directly home by the employee, 
• Once home, ensure the affected employee has access to appropriate medical care, 
• Provide instructions to affected employees on how to effectively self-isolate, 
• Arrange a person to bring groceries and supplies to the affected employee’s home, 
• Verify that public health officials have been in touch with the affected person, 
• Identify other workers who may have had close contact, including those living or travelling with the affected employee and direct them to self-isolate, 
• Make regular contact with affected employees to check on their welfare and ensure they are following instructions, 
• Keep our clients informed of candidates who have been directed to self-isolate, and 
• Consult our clients about the arrangements for our workers to return to work once they receive a medical clearance to return to work.
  

We Recommend Our Clients 

• Enact their plan for responding to a positive coronavirus diagnosis. At a minimum, this plan should include, 
• Immediately ceasing all work in the areas where the affected employee was working until it can be thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated, 
• Identifying close contacts within the workforce and directing them to immediately self-isolate, 
• Immediately ceasing all work in the areas where the close contacts were working until they can be thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated, 
• Contacting public health authorities in your state to ensure you have their current advice, and 
• Communicating with your workforce and to other stakeholders including labour hire providers, contractors, suppliers and customers. 

Border controls have been extremely changeable, therefor it’s critical that everyone stays abreast of any updates through the appropriate government links.

The National Farmers’ Federation is also maintaining up-to-date Australian border control information by state and territory on this helpful public webpage:  www.farmhub.org.au/covid-19-border-controls-information/ 

In the event of another significant outbreak and subsequent border closure,

Agri Labour Australia Will 

• Provide individual workers with letters confirming they are employed by Agri Labour Australia and providing details of the job they are travelling to commence, and 
• Liaise with state and territory public health authorities to facilitate the travel of large groups of workers being redeployed across borders. 
  

We Recommend Our Clients 

• Monitor the website highlighted below to remain up to date with state and territory border controls, and 
• Identify if any elements of your future workforce may have to demonstrate a genuine to cross state or territory borders.

All care has been taken in preparing this guide, however the coronavirus emergency is developing rapidly and consequently government directions, recommendations and advice are also subject to change. You must heed any advice and directions given by government or by public health officials. You must also ensure you are aware of current government directions and advice. We recommend visiting the following websites frequently to ensure you have current information:

• Australian Government Department of Health
• Australian Capital Territory Department of Health
• New South Wales Department of Health
• Northern Territory Department of Health
• Queensland Department of Health
• South Australia Department of Health
• Tasmania Department of Health
• Victoria Department of Health
• Western Australia Department of Health

Where to go for more information

National Coronavirus Helpline
Phone: 1800 020 080
If you require translating or interpreting services, call 131 450.