Whether you’re a small business owner or self-employed tradesman, there are plenty of ways to prep yourself and your site for a safe return. From sanitising stations and surface wipes to social distancing and cleaning schedules, we’ve pulled together some helpful tips and essential buys to ensure your back to work strategy is a complete success.
Follow the social distance rule while on site
Ensure communal areas are appropriately distanced, keeping to the 1.5m social distancing rule. Display floor marks, signs and posters around your site to remind people to keep their distance from each other. You can print out posters for free on the Safe Work Australia website.
Set up sanitising stations
Carry sanitiser with you at all times and use it regularly throughout the day. If you’re responsible for employees, scatter sanitisers around the site to encourage people to keep their hands clean and germ-free. Make sure they know how to use them effectively. The more you have accessible, the more likely it is that people will use them.
Invest in antibacterial hand wash
Keep bathrooms and kitchens fully stocked with antibacterial hand wash.
Remind your staff how to wash hands correctly with this handy poster. That way you can eliminate the spread of any nasty germs.
Invest in a soothing hand cream to stop the skin from drying out.
Clean as you go
Germs and illness are often spread via surfaces, so keep out cleaning wipes and disinfectant along with reminders that staff should clean any surface they’ve come into contact with. Particularly desk spaces and high traffic areas — if staff are sharing desk spaces, kitchen counters, bathrooms and cupboards, encourage everyone to wipe down every surface after use.
Organise shifts
Stagger start, finish and break times where appropriate. Implement a shift system so you can determine how many people should be on-site at once. Consider separating workers into dedicated teams with each team working the same shift or in a particular area and having access to their own meal areas or break facilities. That way you can control the space between each tradesman.
Wear protective equipment
Facemasks, eye goggles, thermometers and gloves all help reduce the spread of disease. Make sure you’re fully prepped with this equipment before you go on-site. This will give yourself and others around you peace of mind you’re taking the necessary precautions to prevent any further spread.
Keep visitors to a minimum
Unless absolutely necessary, try to limit the amount of external visitors passing through the site. Prohibit personal package deliveries and limit shared snacks, coffee stations etc. to decrease the amount of shared surfaces.
Avoid close contact where possible
Avoid close contact with anyone who is unwell and displaying cold or flu-like symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should stay home, without exception. Instruct staff and colleagues to inform management if they have been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19 or has been tested for COVID-19.
Consider other communication techniques
Free technology is available for trades and trade businesses to reduce their physical interactions. Depending on your requirements, the following software should help:
Video for site inspections & quoting (Skype, FaceTime)
Team communication (Slack, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Zoom, Google Meet)
Payments (Stripe, Square and online banking)
Increase cleaning schedule
Ensure any surfaces, equipment or tools that may have been touched by others are disinfected. This might mean carrying around cleaning agents and paper towels with you. Make sure appropriate signage is displayed throughout the site encouraging other tradies to clean up after themselves. Invest in powerful cleaning disinfectants and increase the frequency of your professional cleaning schedule (if applicable).
