Protecting your business and supply chain from the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

BY NATIONAL LOTTERIES AND NEWSAGENTS ASSOCIATION

Effective handwashing techniques: between the fingers. Hand washing is very important to avoid the … [+]

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We’ve all been hearing “wash your hands” as the singular best way to stay healthy during these dark days of Covid-19. It seems so basic— it’s what we teach toddlers even before they are able to stand up on their own. Every parent has asked their child, even tweens and teens: “Did you wash your hands?” followed by a “Yes” and an eye roll, followed by “With soap?” followed by…. silence and said eye rolling cum slouching child returning to the sink to wash with said soap. Washing with soap and water is not a new phenomenon that became a new hot latest and greatest practice just weeks ago. The ancient Babylonians used soap in 2800 B.C.E.

While personal use of masks and gloves by non-healthcare workers is a relatively new source of heated debate, washing with soap and water crosses all political lines, religious differences, thoughts on climate change, and personal health disputes. We all know it’s the best. Even better than portable hand sanitizer. Better than plain water, and better than sanitizing wipes.

What is it about soap that gives it such superpowers?

Macro close up of soap bubbles 

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Plain old hand soap, no, not antibacterial soap (remember, this is a virus devastating us, not a bacteria), contains molecules that are actually called “soap molecules.” They contain a hydrophobic (water-hating, or water-fearing) end and a hydrophilic (water-loving) end. When mixed with water, the components of a soap molecule line up so that the water-loving ends are facing out, and the water-hating ends are facing in.

When Dissolved In Water, Fatty Acids In Soap Form Micelles, The Hydrophilic Ends Turned Outward And … [+]

 UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES

When dissolved in water, the components in soap form circular “micelles,” exposing all of the water-loving ends outward. The coronavirus is coated with lipids and proteins, The hydrophilic (water-loving) component of soap acts to dissolve the lipids and break down the proteins, both of which actions help prevent the virus from entering the cells on the skin. Hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol also has effects on this virus. The alcohol acts to disrupt RNA molecules in the virus, preventing viral replication (in other words it blocks the virus from making copies of itself). But soap is slightly superior, as there is the scrubbing part that comes with hand washing with soap and water.

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has provided a now highly viewed poster about hand washing technique, which emphasizes not only coating the hands with soap and water, but also includes rubbing the soap into the skin for at least 20 seconds (with the song, meme or Shakespearean monologue of your choice these days). The duration is critical, as it ensures a more thorough cleansing, as opposed to just a surface once-over one tends to do with hand sanitizers or wipes. Unlike hard surfaces such as tables, door knobs, or computer screens, skin has a more irregular, variant texture, whereby a light coating followed by a three-second rinse just won’t do the job.

Surgeons and operating room staff spend a good deal of time learning how to do a surgical scrub correctly, as well as how to don and remove hats, masks, gloves, goggles, and gowns (all now affectionately and widely known as PPE, or personal protective equipment). There’s an order and a method to this process, both before entering an operating room, before approaching the operative field (known as “scrubbing in”) as well as when leaving an operative field (”scrubbing out”), and later leaving the operating room area.

The surgical scrub prep, at first onerous and cumbersome, soon becomes second nature and so routine to anyone working in an operating room. We giggle when we watch a medical television show where the surgeon is not wearing a mask while at the scrub sink, touches his or her scrub hat after scrubbing, or (gasp!) puts on gloves before a gown. There is a precise order for donning PPE, scrubbing, and, perhaps equally as important, removing and disposing of such items. This order and technique prevent spread of infections to the person, to the patients, and to anyone in the vicinity. This is one of the reasons that health personnel literally cringe when we see people out and about with masks and gloves. Unless you work in an operating room (or another environment in healthcare settings requiring aseptic techniques), there is little information available regarding safe utilization and disposal of masks and gloves in the community. In short, these items more often provide a false sense of protection and can indeed act to spread infection. As described in a recent Forbes piece by Tara Haelle, these are doing you no service, and can actually be a disservice to you and those around you.

There is no need for everyone to get a crash course PPE donning and removal technique, nor on how to do a proper surgical scrub.

Just wash your hands. With soap. And after that, dry them. With a towel (disposable these days). Towels enable one to continue to use a bit of friction on the skin, which helps remove dirt and pathogens. Bathroom hand dryers are a big “no” these days. In 2018, a study published by the American Society of Microbiology found that these dryers literally suck up bacteria from fecal matter in the bathroom air, and spray it on each user.

To sum it up:

Wash your hands.

With soap and water.

Dry them.

With a paper towel.

Throw out the towel.

Repeat often.

Tell a friend.

Source: www.forbes.com

The Federal Government has updated its travel advisory to level four for the entire world, with Scott Morrison telling shoppers there’s no need to go out panic buying amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Scott Morrison’s press conference, summarised:

• An unprecedented, indefinite level-four travel ban is in place for the entire world. The travel advice for all Australians wanting to go overseas is “Do Not Travel“.
• There is a ban on non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 people or more. Australians are still advised to stay away from non-essential outdoor gatherings of 500 or more.
• Modeled on Singapore’s approach, the official advice is that schools will remain open.
• There are new measures in place for visiting elderly relatives in aged care. In end-of-life situations, facilities will have the discretion to put very strict arrangements in place to enable family members to see relatives.
• Scott Morrison has urged hoarders to stop panic-buying, as grocery stores deal with empty shelves.
• The chief medical officer has said a shut down of the country is not recommended by the experts
• Social distancing recommendations remain in place, including advice not to hand shake or hug

Other key moments from today:

Dr Kerry Chant confirms an increase of 57 cases of COVID-19 in NSW overnight

The coronavirus – COVID-19 – has already had global health ramifications, spreading across dozens of nations, infecting more than 100,000 people and killing over 4,000 so far.

Aside from the obvious health concerns, professional services firm PwC has anticipated the coronavirus could have a significant impact on the global economy, resulting in a reduction in the total workforce by about 1.53%.

They worked this out by assuming 50% of the world’s population contracts the disease, 61% of those people are in the workforce and they have to take about 2.5 weeks off to recover.

To put that into perspective with an example, Australia’s largest company the Commonwealth Bank has around 48,000 employees. If, hypothetically, three in ten of them caught the coronavirus (based on the assumed infection rates in PwC’s report), that would equate to over 14,000 CBA workers needing to take time off work due to the virus.

Ok, so what are workplaces doing to prepare?

Some companies have already started taking measures to limit the spread of the virus in the workplace, including Apple, which urged all global office staff to work remotely this week and made plans to reduce the number of people in its retail stores.

Flight Centre reportedly asked full-time staff in an internal email to cut down their hours to a four-day work week to help the business, and said this would result in their salaries being reduced to match the hours worked.

The World Health Organisation has advised employers on how to get their workplace ready for COVID-19, with tips such as having hand sanitiser available to staff and encouraging anyone with even mild symptoms to stay at home.

This has raised concern that some employees could potentially suffer financial pressure if they are unable to attend work, particularly for casual workers who often don’t get paid sick leave.

Are you being paid properly? Check with this 5-step payslip healthcheck.

What is the government doing to help workers and employers?

The federal Attorney-General will meet with union and employer representatives on Tuesday to discuss workplace health and safety practices, employment arrangements and ways to ensure businesses can keep their doors open.

The government is also expected to finalise an economic package this week that could include wage subsidies for industries affected most by the coronavirus and that employ a lot of casual workers.

Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Luke Hilakari said the union group is calling for a special leave provision to make sure workers who may be asked to go into self-isolation will still be paid and not need to use up all their sick leave for the year.

“[The government’s assistance] package must include financial support for casual workers who do not have access to paid leave and may have lost income or their jobs as a result of coronavirus.”

What could coronavirus mean for you as an employee, according to the Ombudsman?

Even the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) – which many employers and employees turn to for guidance on their workplace rights – cannot provide all the answers for coronavirus and the workplace yet.

Canstar finance expert Effie Zahos said we were in “uncharted waters” now about the rules if people are sick or unable to work due to coronavirus concerns or quarantine.

“Let’s say you’re worried about going to the workplace because you’re concerned about your health and you want to stay home and work, but you’ve got a job that doesn’t allow you to stay home from work – where do you stand?,” Ms Zahos said.

She said questions like these were no doubt hot topics of discussion in the workplace right now, particularly between small businesses who may not have the cash flow to support workers without sick leave, and workers who have to take time off and continue paying bills but aren’t receiving an income.

As for now, there are some broad guidelines from the FWO about employees’ rights in Australia when it comes to coronavirus. Of course, everyone’s personal situation is different, so the following general information may not necessarily apply to you. You may want to consider seeking independent legal and/or medical advice tailored to your circumstances.

1. Workers may be able to take leave if they or their family members are sick with coronavirus

The FWO’s website states that generally speaking, full-time and part-time permanent workers who can’t come to work because they are sick with coronavirus should be able to take paid sick leave, or if they need to look after a sick family member or housemate they should be able to take paid carer’s leave. They should be able to take unpaid carer’s leave if they run out of paid sick or carer’s leave, the FWO says.

Casual workers, on the other hand, would normally only be entitled to two days of carer’s leave without pay, according to the FWO.

If you are sick, it’s possible your employer could ask for evidence of the illness or emergency, which you will be expected to provide if asked, according to the FWO.

2. Some workers could potentially be sent home without pay

According to the FWO, the Fair Work Act normally only allows employers to send staff home without pay if they can’t work due to equipment breakdown, industrial action or an obstruction of work that is out of the employer’s control.

The Ombudsman says on its website that the most common scenarios for being stood down without pay are typically severe weather events or natural disasters. But it adds that if an employer thinks a staff member is at risk of having coronavirus – either due to recent travel or close contact with someone who has the virus – they can ask that employee to stay home from work, or to seek medical clearance from a doctor before returning to work.

In this scenario, a full-time or part-time employee would “ordinarily” be paid, the FWO states, but there is no mention of what casual employees’ rights would be.

It could be worthwhile checking your employment contract, which may have more guidelines about under which circumstances your employer may send you home. If you would like further information, consider speaking with your employer directly.

3. Employees can possibly ask to work from home or to take time off

The FWO states that some in some cases, employers can ask that staff to work from home, if possible, or not work at all during the risk period if they are deemed at risk of infection from coronavirus. It also adds that employees may be able to request to work from home if they are worried about being exposed to the virus.

Organising this would generally require speaking with your employer and going through the normal leave application process, the FWO states.

Before doing so, it might be worthwhile chatting with your doctor or a workplace health and safety representative to determine how “at risk” you are of contracting COVID-19.

4. Workers may need to let their employer know if they’re stuck overseas or forced to enter quarantine

If anyone is unable to get to work because they can’t return from an overseas trip or are required to enter quarantine, they should normally let their employer know as soon as possible, the FWO says.

Employers and employees will need to come to their own arrangements when it comes to pay in this situation, according to the FWO, because the Act doesn’t have any “specific rules” for people who can’t attend work because they’re stuck overseas or are required to quarantine themselves because of the coronavirus. This may involve discussing the possibility of:

• Taking sick leave
• Taking annual leave or long service leave
• Taking some form of unpaid leave

5. Some helpful links for information on health and safety at work

• Department of Health
• Safe Work Australia
• Health and safety bodies in your state or territory
• World Health Organisation

If you have any urgent enquiries about your workplace entitlements or obligations, speak with your employer or if necessary consider contacting the FWO online or by calling 13 13 94.

Could your super balance be impacted if you were unable to work?

According to the Australian Taxation Office, you are entitled to be paid the 9.5% super guarantee on top of your gross income, which employers must pay at least quarterly, if you are:

• Paid $450 or more before tax in a month; and either
• over 18 years old; or
• under 18 years old and working over 30 hours per week

The ATO doesn’t, however, have any information available at this time about how employees’ super balances could be impacted if they are unable to work due to coronavirus.

Source: www.canstar.com.au

Dear Members,

Please see attached some useful information pertaining to COVID-19.
In challenging retail times, we need to keep things “business as usual”. Certainly, we know people in your community are going to be driven to “shop more local’ that’s a good thing for our members.
Shop presentation and cleanliness now more than ever before is paramount-
• Each hour clean benchtops
• Each hour clean door handles and rails
• This will then lift consumer confidence that you the retailer is in the moment with COVID-19 looking after your community health, safety & wellbeing.
• Do not shake hands- COVID-19 is highly contagious
• Keep positive and connected to the community, we all need each other to get through these challenging times.
• Hand sanitiser would be great on the front counter if possible -however we also realise very hard to get as stocks are running low everywhere.

Regards,

Brendan Tohill
CEO
NLNA