Controlling COVID-19 risks in healthcare and social assistance

Background

Employees in the healthcare and social assistance industry have a higher risk of being exposed to COVID-19. This page provides information about managing this risk in clinical and non-clinical settings, including patient transport.

COVID-19

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that can result in mild to very severe illness or death. It can spread through:

• aerosols (very fine particles) breathed in when an infected person does things such as cough, sneeze, talk, shout or sing – the particles can stay in the air for some time, especially in indoor spaces with poor ventilation
• droplets (larger particles) that can directly enter your eyes, nose or mouth when you are in close contact with an infected person who coughs or sneezes
• touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles) contaminated with the COVID-19 virus from settled droplets and aerosols, and then touching your face

For more information about COVID-19 (including symptoms and health effects), go to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria.

Employer duties

Employers have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act), which include that they must, so far as is reasonably practicable:

• provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to the health of employees (including independent contractors, their employees and labour hire employees)
• provide and maintain plant or systems of work that are safe and without risks to the health of employees
• make arrangements for ensuring the safety and the absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage or transport of plant or substances
• maintain each workplace under their management and control in a condition that is safe and without risks to health
• provide adequate facilities for the welfare of employees
• monitor the health of their employees
• monitor conditions at any workplace under their management and control
• provide information concerning health and safety to employees, including (where appropriate) in languages other than English
• ensure that people, other than employees, are not exposed to risks to their health or safety from the conduct of the undertaking of the employer

Employers must also provide such information, instruction, training or supervision to employees and independent contractors as is necessary to enable them to perform their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health.

Consult with employees

Employers must consult with employees, independent contractors and any health and safety representatives (HSRs), so far as is reasonably practicable, on matters related to health or safety that directly affect, or are likely to directly affect them. This includes, but not limited to, consultation when:

• identifying or assessing hazards or risks to health or safety at the workplace (including exposure to COVID-19)
• making decisions about the measures to be taken to control risks
• making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for the welfare of employees
• proposing changes to the workplace, plant or substances used at the workplace that may affect the health or safety of employees

Employees must be given a reasonable opportunity to express their views and those views must be considered before a decision is made on health and safety matters. 

If there is an agreed procedure for consulting about health and safety matters, the consultation must be done according to those procedures.

Employee duties

Employees also have duties under the OHS Act, which includes that they must:

• Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of people who may be affected by the employee's acts or omissions at a workplace.
• Co-operate with their employer with respect to any action taken by the employer to comply with a requirement imposed by or under the OHS Act or OHS Regulations.

The OHS Act gives HSRs a role in enquiring into anything that poses, or that may pose, a risk to the health or safety and attempt to resolve those OHS issues with the employer. For more information about HSR role and their powers, see:

Identifying risks

Employers must identify the level of risk to the health of employees from exposure to hazards such as COVID-19 at their workplace, including where care is provided in people's homes. This must be done in consultation with HSRs and employees, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Examples of common situations that place employees at an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 include:

• providing care in close contact to people suspected or confirmed to be infected with COVID-19
• undertaking aerosol generating procedures or being around clients that display aerosol generating behaviours such as yelling, screaming or crying
• working in areas where control measures such as screening or testing may not be practical (for example, emergency services or emergency departments)
• working in areas (or communities) during an outbreak or elevated cases in community

Managing the risk

Employers have a duty to control risks to an employee's health and safety in the workplace. This includes identifying and assessing the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Where there is a risk to health, employers must, so far as is reasonably practicable, eliminate the risk. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk, the risk must be reduced, so far as is reasonably practicable. This must be done in consultation with HSRs and employees, so far as is reasonably practicable. The risk assessment should call on expert advice when needed.

Use the hierarchy of control to identify and implement the highest order of control. In many cases several control measures may need to be implemented to reduce the risk, so far as reasonably practicable.

Employers must ensure that employees receive the necessary information, instruction, training or supervision to enable them to do their jobs safely, this includes for any risk controls that are implemented.

Hierarchy of control

1. Eliminate hazards and risks – highest level of protection and most effective control  
   Eliminating the hazard and the risk it creates is the most effective control measure.
2. Reduce the risk with one or more of the following controls:
   • Substitution – substitute the risks with lesser risks.
   • Isolation – isolate people from the risks.
   • Engineering – reduce the risks through engineering changes.
3. Administrative controls – Low level protection and less reliable control 
   Use administration actions to minimise exposure to hazards and reduce the level of harm.
4. Personal protective equipment (PPE) – Lowest level of protection and least reliable control.

Monitor and review risk controls

The risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace can vary due to outbreaks or increased cases circulating in the community. Frequently monitor the local environment and risk to health with a risk assessment and adjust controls as necessary to manage the risk.

Adjusting controls can include, isolation (zoning) of high impacted areas, increased fresh air and air changes to impacted areas and broader use of respiratory protection.

Review risk control measures:

• at regular intervals
• when new information becomes available
• when there are changes in the work environment, work tasks or in the workload
• when an employee or HSR feedback indicates risk control measures are ineffective or not as effective as they should be
• when an HSR or health and safety committee requests a review
• after an incident or near miss, for example, after an outbreak in the workplace

Information, instruction, and training

Employers must provide such information, instruction, training or supervision to employees and independent contractors, as is necessary, to enable them to perform their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health. This can include:

• Ensuring employees understand the risk controls in place to prevent and manage the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in their workplace. For example, how to safely handle, transport and disinfect potentially contaminated clothing and items used at work such as shoes, phones, identity badges.
• Ensuring employees understand the risk controls in place to prevent and manage the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in their workplace. For example, how to safely handle, transport and disinfect potentially contaminated clothing and items used at work such as shoes, phones, identity badges.
• Ensuring employees have ready access to information, instruction and any supporting process/procedures. For example, processes and procedures for implementing outbreak management plans. 
• Providing updated information to all employees, including employees working at other locations, those on leave, contractors and labour hire or casual employees.
• Providing information in a format and language that employees can readily understand.
• Ensuring that employees know what to do, or who to notify if they feel unwell or suspect they have been exposed or infected, including information on furloughing and exclusion from the workplace.
• Informing employees of any altered expectations and working conditions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections.
• Providing education on risk reduction behaviours (for example physical distancing, hand hygiene).