Working through the risk management process can help you to assess the risks of COVID-19 at your workplace and work out what control measures to implement.
- Identify hazards - identify if COVID-19 could cause harm at your workplace, including considering how exposure could occur
- Assess risks - understand how serious the harm could be and the likelihood of it happening
- Control risks - implement the most effective control measures and ensure they remain effective over time
- Review control measures - to ensure they remain effective, are used correctly and working as planned.
For more information on the risk management process, see the Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.
Remember to consult with workers, and their HSRs (if they have them) as this will help you to identify possible sources of exposure and make better decisions about what control measures to implement.
Identify and assess
Wherever people interact or share space, there is a risk that COVID-19 could spread.
The risk of exposure to COVID-19 may be higher if the work involves:
- regular close contact between people
- being indoors in a crowded or poorly ventilated spaces
- shared workspaces, facilities or equipment
- providing personal care and support services to other people
- working with unwell or vulnerable people.
Assessing the risks will help you work out:
- which workers are at risk of exposure
- how this exposure might occur
- what kind of control measures are reasonably practicable for you to implement
- if any existing control measures are effective.
Control the risks
Consider the outcomes of worker consultation and your risk assessment when deciding what control measures to implement.
Make sure you choose the control measures that are the most reliable and offer the higher level of protection.
- Administrative controls (e.g. procedures) and PPE (e.g. masks) are the least effective controls as they rely on human behaviour. For example, masks are not an effective control measure if they are not worn correctly. This doesn’t mean you shouldn't implement these types of control measures, but you should consider more effective ones first.
- Consider whether you can use more effective control measures, such as improving workplace layout to limit crowding and improving air quality through ventilation. These types of control measures are more reliable than just relying on administrative controls and PPE.
You may be able to effectively manage the risk of COVID-19 a combination of control measures, such as adequate ventilation, adequate physical distancing, regular cleaning, good hygiene, and encouraging workers to stay home when unwell. These types of control measures also help to manage the risks of other biological hazards that spread in a similar way (e.g. colds and flu). Further information is provided on Control measures page.
However, you may need to do something more or different to manage the risks of COVID-19, particularly in higher risk settings and where people in the workplace are at higher risk of more serious illness. You may need to seek advice from relevant authorities (e.g. health authorities) about evidence based control measures that apply to your workplace.
See the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s guidance on Groups at higher risk from COVID-19.
Review control measures
Regularly review your control measures to make sure they are working. You should also review your control measure to ensure they are effective if risks change (e.g. a number of workers get COVID-19 or there is a community outbreak), if there are changes in the workplace change that might change the risks (e.g. changes to the type of work or the work environment), or if workers raise concerns.
What to do if someone has COVID-19 at your workplace
If you become aware that someone has COVID-19 at your workplace you should act promptly to manage the risks.
Depending on the circumstances, possible steps may include:
- providing appropriate PPE and distancing the affected person from others in the workplace
- supporting the person to return home as soon as possible to isolate and recover
- cleaning and disinfecting affected areas and equipment
- identifying any risks to others – notify those who were in close contact if you can, so they can monitor themselves for any symptoms
- reviewing risk management controls to determine if they are still effective.
If the person has serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call 000 for urgent medical assistance.
Remember, you have privacy obligations when handling information about positive cases and close contacts. You may inform workers a colleague or visitor has, or may have, contracted COVID-19 but only the minimum amount of personal information reasonably necessary to prevent or manage COVID-19 should be collected, used or disclosed. See the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for further guidance on managing privacy requirements with COVID-19.
Returning to work after having COVID-19
It is no longer mandatory to isolate after being exposed to, or testing positive to, COVID-19 however you still have a duty to manage the risk of exposure to COVID-19 at your workplace if a worker tests positive.
Workers may need temporary adjustments to prevent it spreading to others at the workplace, and to allow the affected worker to recover. For example, this might include changes to work location, work tasks or leave considerations. You must consult with the worker and adhere to any relevant legislation when determining what appropriate measures to put in place.