COVIDSAFE Policies and Procedures
JB Hunter is actively monitoring the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having on our company, staff, trainers, students, clients and the extended community.
Our Business Continuity Plan contains a Training Operations Policy and Procedure, an Office Operation Policy and Procedure and overarching Business Continuity Master Plan. These documents set out how we will maintain business operations in the event of a major event or disruption. In addition to policies already in place, we are taking added steps to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our people and clients in the event the situation escalates.
In the current environment, our Business Continuity Plan, along with our core values, WHS policies, working from home policies and information systems are our controlling principles.
This document is current at the time of publication (28th February 2022) based on the advice on hand.
We are a registered COVIDSAFE business in NSW.
Regulation
We continue to monitor the situation with advice from reputable health bodies and government authorities. Our response plan is designed to minimise disruption while ensuring we maintain the highest level of client care and service.
General Health and Wellbeing
Under our WHS policies, we encourage our people (staff, trainers & students) to maintain safe work environments and practices to protect their health and wellbeing, with added hygiene provisions to minimise the spread of the virus.
Staff identified as “high risk” to infection are being provided with alternate work arrangements to minimise their potential exposure.
Self-Quarantine
Any of our people identified as ‘at risk’ under the conditions put forth by the relevant authorities will be asked to self-quarantine for the recommended period.
Personnel experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 as guided by the relevant authorities are recommended to stay at home and seek medical advice.
Venue Access Protocols
The following venue access protocols have been implemented with prominent signage throughout our venues:
If you have recently been in close contact with anyone confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 or have been confirmed to have COVID-19, you are required to undertake a period of self-quarantine for 7 days.
Further to travel or other exposure, if you are experiencing any fever, cough or breathing difficulties, we require you to:
- Immediately cease coming to the training venue and contact us via phone or email as soon as possible
- Contact your doctor or local GP to book a COVID-19 screening as soon as practicable and follow their instructions, which may include self-isolation for 14 days. The number for the Coronavirus Health Information Line is 1800 020 080
- If you are unable to contact a medical professional, please self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days
Any students self-excluding will be able to transfer to a later course at no additional cost.
Those people accessing our venues will be actively monitored against these conditions by our staff and trainers, with non-compliance not tolerated.
Training Delivery – Within a Lockdown Area
Subject to the government advice in a particular location, JB Hunter may continue to train face to face classes during a lockdown (only if allowed by the relevant health orders) where these classes are for essential workers. Conditions around such training are:
- All classes that can be run as remote delivery are to be done in a non-contact manner
- Only courses that directly service the essential workforce may continue to run
- Essential worker courses can only run when allowed under the relevant health orders
- Where training is in an LGA, or students may reasonably be expected to be travelling from an LGA, that is subject to additional measures (such as 72 hour testing), these measures shall apply to ALL learners attending the training site
- No learners, whether essential or not, shall be allowed to attend training in a non-lockdown area if they are come from or have been in a lockdown area in the previous 14 days
Training Delivery – Non-lockdown Areas
Under the advice of the Australian Government, education facilities have been asked to remain open. JB Hunter will be following this advice, and given the low student density of our venues, believe keeping our face-to-face training sessions as scheduled assists those students who rely on obtaining the relevant skills and knowledge for their jobs.
Additionally, we have implemented the following practices for our face-to-face delivery centres:
- Venue access protocols (see above)
- Reducing class density to maintain social distancing no closer than 1.5m
- Providing hand sanitizer on each entry to the class environment
- Increased cleaning frequency
- Complimentary workshop transfer for those students having to postpone training due to self-isolation or those not comfortable being in a classroom environment, where students have contacted JB Hunter prior to the commencement of training
Further information on our training operations can be found in document “QA-PP-COVID-19 Training Operations”.
MASK/FACE COVERING USAGE
JB Hunter encourages the use of a mask or face covering at all times when on JB Hunter venues in areas of increased COVID-19 activity.
In areas where the relevant government has mandated masks when indoors, JB Hunter will not allow access to training or facilities in these areas unless suitable masks are worn.
Travel
We have advised our people to exercise caution regarding personal travel, with policies and procedures to minimise the spread of the virus.
Meetings and Site Visits
Visitors to our venues who may have been exposed to or experiencing symptoms, as described by health and government authorities, are encouraged to advise in advance so alternative solutions can be arranged, if necessary.
Similarly, we respect the requirements of our clients in relation to any planned onsite visits and can seek alternative ways to continue to deliver services and meet business needs.
STAYING HEALTHY
We implore our people to protect their own health, as well as the health of those around them and, importantly, to protect the more vulnerable members of our communities. This includes activities such as:
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- Clean your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol
- Cover your sneeze or cough with your elbow or with a tissue
- Avoid close contact with people who are ill
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Stay home if you are sick
- Reduce physical contact with those around you, such as not shaking hands.
More Information
We encourage all our people to stay up to date with the latest information about Coronavirus, including answers to frequently asked questions:
In Closing
We will continue to monitor the situation and take advice from the Australian Government around suitable actions. We note the Australian and State/Territory Governments as the authorities setting our direction and their advice may supersede this document at any time, in which case we will act to promptly follow any revised recommendations.
We hold customer relationships and our delivery of face-to-face training in the highest regard. In the event we cannot do this face-to-face training in the future, we have the technology to continue to work with you and our people as outlined above to continue to provide the services you need.
Yours sincerely
Shane Darwin
Chief Executive Officer