New guidance outlining best practice for managing the risks of COVID-19 in the workplace has been released.
Announced by Attorney-General Christian Porter, the guidance comes in the form of a draft model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Code of Practice which provides an example for State and Territory Governments, which can be adopted if required according to their individual level of risk.
“It’s essential that Australian businesses continue to operate safely during these challenging times and the draft model code provides clear, non-binding guidance on how best to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 entering or being spread within workplaces,” Mr Porter said.
“The draft Code builds on the National Cabinet’s COVID-19 safe workplace principles, which included establishing Safe Work Australia as a central source of practical guidance and tools on managing the WHS risks of COVID-19,” he said.
“A substantial amount of detailed and practical guidance specifically tailored to 36 different industries has been published on Safe Work Australia’s COVID‑19 website.”
Mr Porter said this included guidance on how to implement key preventative measures such as physical distancing, exemplary hygiene and protocols for responding to positive cases of COVID-19 in the workplace.
The 20-page draft COVID-19 Model Code of Practice can be accessed at this PS News link.
