Guidance Action to mitigate the introduction and spread of COVID-19

 

Hygiene
Provide and promote hand sanitiser stations for use on entering building and other locations in the worksite and ensure adequate supplies of hand soap and paper towels are available.
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* Alcohol-based hand sanitisers are located in all key areas: the front door prior to entry into the building, at the garden/yard door as you enter the building from the yard, at the grooming table station and the bath and dry area upstairs, access at gate entrance where drop offs & pickups take place off the laneway as well as sign-in areas, and in all common areas such as foyer, lifts, staircases, corridors areas, open plan area, and kitchen/bathroom area. Sanitizers are carried by groomer at all times and used prior to handling and after grooming animals.
* These are kept in first AID/sanitiser stations which include sanitiser, wipes and disinfectant sprays.
* Posters encouraging hand hygiene placed in all key areas of the building: How to use alcohol- based hand sanitiser, how to wash your hands and hygiene etiquette.
* Posters encouraging hand hygiene placed in key areas in the building including bathrooms, foyer, corridors and staircases/lifts.

* Hand soap, sanitizers and paper towels are replenished every night by our third party cleaner.

 

Where possible: enhance airflow by opening windows and adjusting air conditioning.


* Doors and windows are kept open to allow air flow.
* Rooms with windows are left open to allow fresh air when grooming is in operation.
* Air conditioning has been adjusted and is regularly serviced.
* Purchased and use of mobile air purifier machines are use as required.

 

In areas or workplaces where it is required, ensure staff and visitors/clients wear a face covering and/or required PPE, unless a lawful exception applies. Ensure adequate face coverings and PPE are available to those that do not have their own.


* Circle of Fluff is a contactless service - clients drop off & collect their pets through the garden gate and do NOT come upstairs in the grooming areas thus minimising contact.

 * We have spare facemasks in the case a visitor needs one when they arrive to drop off/collect a
pet.
 * As a Sole Trader I attend work/groom wearing a mask.
 * Face masks are required for everyone if deemed a household contact.
 * Social distancing required in all areas of the building and garden including laneway where drop offs & pickups take place.
 * Wear masks in the building, especially when moving in communal spaces (lifts, staircases, foyer, garden, entrance etc.). When grooming by yourself (and have appropriate ventilation) masks may not always be required depending on the task undertaken. If you cannot social distance when talking to a client or other person please wear a mask.
 * Sharing space: if there is a time when another person may be present - the door must be left open and windows should also stay open (weather permitting).
 * For people/visitors/clients who may be in the open common areas – please keep within safe space - if you breach your barrier to speak to another person then you must wear your mask.
 * We will need to ask all visitors entering the garden/building to wear a mask, sign in and answer COVID questions and take temperature (if required).

 

Undertake training on the correct use and disposal of face coverings and PPE, and on good hygiene practices and slowing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).


* Always adhere to updated / current COVID-19 safety guidelines.
 * Groomer has been part of, and continue to be part of, briefings in relation to COVID-19 updates.
 * Online Infection Control training takes place.
 * Viewing of videos of safe PPE use on regular basis.
 * Ongoing communication via emails, workplace communications, and meetings with Pet Industry Association Australia (PIAA) – Circle of Fluff Membership Number: G20221840 – This business declares compliance to the Pet industry Association National Code of Practice, Member Sector: Grooming.
 * Completed on line training as per:https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covid-19-infection-control-training

 

Replace high-touch communal items with alternatives.
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* Paper towels and disposable cleaning cloths used for general cleaning and disinfecting grooming areas and equipment.
* Dedicated stationary, desks, tables, bath, drying station, grooming station, phones and computers, will receive extra clean overnight.
* Use of antiseptic to wipe down all service areas and phone prior to commencing the work day.
* Wash, dry and put away your own dishes.
* Disinfectant spray, wipes and alcohol-based hand sanitiser are available in all communal areas.
* Required to sanitise work surfaces after use.
* Paper towels are available in the toilet areas as opposed to cotton hand towels.

 

Reduce numbers or clients coming into the premises in accordance with government changing directions.

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* Will telephone clients to advise of any changes in government direction and resulting service delivery changes.

 

Cleaning

* Increase environmental & equipment cleaning (including between grooms), ensure high touch surfaces are cleaned and disinfected regularly (at least twice daily).
* General cleaning service in communal areas Monday – Friday.
* Additional disinfecting cleaning during this period includes staircases, hand rails, door handles/knobs, lifts, light switches, door handles, buttons and rails in lifts - including telephones, intercom buzzer, main bell and letterbox areas.
* Additional clean of workstations prior and after each groom.
* Entrance key pad & fobs wiped with alcohol wipes, every time entering or exiting the premises including rubbish room area and garage entrance. This includes disinfecting the car prior to and
after transport of a pet.
* Sanitiser stations in key areas increasing access to cleaning materials to wipe down equipment (blades, tools, clippers, scissors, brushes, combs, dryers, products, phones, laptop keyboards).
* All rooms have maximum number of people allowed access with cleaning materials available for daily use.

 

Ensure adequate supplies of cleaning products, including detergent and disinfectant.
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* Supplies of all cleaning products are maintained to ensure plenty of stock for each site/work area
e.g. bath/drying table/grooming space.
 * Inventory kept by administration and cleaner.
 * Each space has significant paper towels and/or disinfectant wipes, disinfectant sprays and detergents.

 

Physical distancing and limiting workplace attendance
Minimise the build-up of clients/people waiting to enter and exit the premises.
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* During periods of lockdown or when prescribed to do so, the service may remain closed to the general public. Only essential / welfare grooming may be permitted according to regulations.
 * Circle of Fluff is to ensure that the drop off & pickup area can only accommodate the number of people as allowable by government spacing requirement. This may require that visitors are asked to await by the car or down the laneway at the side of building to avoid a build up at any one time and/or groomer to keep the automated door closed.
* The gate at the laneway may be used as an exit point for staff and visitors/clients.

 

Training undertaken on physical distancing expectations while working and socialising (e.g.
during lunchbreaks, taking a dog down in the yard to pee, meeting and greeting clients etc.).


* Avoid staggered lunch breaks, adhering to signs that indicate maximum capacity. Reminding people in the building/premises to stay 1.5 meters apart and do not share lifts with others as well as monitoring communal areas to ensure that maximum capacity is not exceeded.
* Continue policy of no hand shaking or physical contact between staff and clients.

 

Review delivery protocols to limit contact between delivery drivers and staff.


* Groomer buzzes the delivery services (parcels and products arriving etc.) and downstairs main foyer automated door opens to allow delivery driver to drop off goods at the foyer and leave.
* Delivery of parcels happens contactless and in the event a signature is needed, then physical distance is maintained and masks are worn.
* Only critical deliveries permitted, all other deliveries are on hold during periods of lockdown.
* Goods are put aside and not handled immediately. Gloves and masks worn when unpacking/handling deliveries.

Guidance Action to ensure effective record keeping
 

Record keeping -

Establish a process to record the attendance of customers, clients, visitors and workplace inspectors,
delivery drivers. This information will assist employers to identify close contacts.

 * Sign in sheet for visitors.
 * Cleaning/disinfecting register of all items.
 * Regular disinfecting of pens and/or visitors to be offered to keep the pen they used (e.g. during filling out client information records upon first appointment).
 * Contact details of all delivery companies kept on file to support contact tracing.
 * Taking of temperatures for all visitors entering the building (if required by government guidelines at any given time).

 

Effective use of the workplace OHS reporting system (where available).

 * Training has been undertaken to familiarise with incident reporting.
 * Training on the reporting process for breach of infection control and incident reporting.
 * Resources are monitored and updated as Department advice is provided.

 

Guidance Action to prepare for your response
Preparing your response to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case

 

Prepare or update your business continuity plan to consider the impacts of an outbreak and potential closure of the workplace.

* The Business Continuity Plan has been completed, monitored and is updated through every stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Risk assessments have been undertaken across all areas and the potential impacts to clients, staff and the business.

 

Prepare to assist DHHS with contact tracing and providing visitor records to support contact tracing.



* Records are updated on an ongoing basis with client details.
 * Each client has provided a pandemic action plan with emergency contact details of family.
 * Appointment days/times and general information is kept on file and accessible immediately - including name and address and emergency contact details.
* All visitors sign in to visitor log book (during lockdown welfare grooms). All visitors also complete a form with name and contact details and answer pertinent questions around their movements, symptoms of respiratory illness, overseas travel etc.
* All visitors are compelled to QR scan in on entry and vaccination status proof sighted when required by government guidelines.

 

Prepare to undertake cleaning and disinfection at your business premises. Assess whether the workplace or parts of the
workplace must be closed.



* Premises are closed, with only periodic access.
 * Cleaner contract has been updated and cleaning services are familiar with infection control cleaning.
 * The business can remain closed and will not affect operations if cleaning is required.

 

Prepare for how you will manage a suspected or confirmed case during work hours.



* Systems are in place for client to contact groomer/service, during work hours as well as after hours.
 * DFFH will be informed as soon as practicable.
 * Groomer may need to isolate and contact clients who need to be  notified.

 

Prepare to notify site visitors of a
confirmed or suspected case.

 

* Circle of Fluff will circulate an email/text to all clients, advising of a positive case and the steps, which will be followed.
* Prepare a template for email.

* Prepare to immediately notify Worksafe Victoria on 13 23 60 if you have a confirmed COVID-19
case at your workplace.

* Notify the Department of Health if there have been 5 or more cases within a 7-day period via the COVID-19 outbreak notification form.

 

Confirm that your workplace can
safely re-open and groomer can
return to work.

 

* The COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan has a completed “Return to Work Plan”. Groomer will resume work through a staggered process.
* Clients will be able to reschedule appointments when all restrictions and social distancing measures have been lifted.
* Groomer will contact each client to inform of return to activity/ appointment, advise of the vaccination status requirement for entering the building and remind clients that if unwell they are to remain at home.

 

Process if there is a positive case in the workplace.

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* A COVID positive person needs to notify Circle of Fluff if they are COVID positive.
* The COVID positive person must notify contacts.
* Contacts are people the infected employee spent 15 minutes face to face with, or more than 2 hours in the same indoor space, while the COVID+ person was infectious.
* A client contact must then use a RAT test if they have symptoms or a PCR test is they cannot get access to a RAT test. If a contact doesn’t have symptoms, they need to use RAT test every day for 5 days.
* You must have a negative RAT test before returning to the premises.
 * Circle of Fluff will organise a deep clean of the workstations and associated areas.

 

If the groomer is a household contact.

 

* If the groomer is a household contact, they need to advise clients if they are likely to keep the appointment.
* The groomer, who is a household contact, must test negative using RAT tests on 5 days of the 7-day period.
 * Wear a mask indoors when when outside the home.

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