Grant Hood Contracting Omicron Response Phase 3.

This document outlines Grant Hood Contracting’s (GHC) updated response to the Governments phased approach to managing the Omicron Covid variant. It also provides details for GHC’s employees on how to proceed if they suspect they have covid, or are identified as a close contact.

If you suspect you have Covid– Notify Carolyn or Olivia IMMEDIATELY!

Grant Hood Contracting (GHC) has Covid Health & Safety processes in place which allow our personnel to work safely at all times under Phase 3 of the Omicron Response. These include:

  • Online Covid sign-in and tracing (Engin)
  • Physical distancing (one individual in cab at a time, >2.0m at all times)
  • Face masks and hand sanitizer provided to all employees
  • Machine cab sanitizing before change of operator and at end of shift

GHC employees will always comply with the GHC “Covid-19 Control Plan” (G:\CompanyData\GHC Health & Safety\COVID-19\GHC Covid-19 Control Plans\Covid Control Plan Traffic Light System).

Managing workers who are COVID-19 cases, contacts or have symptoms

  • anyone with symptoms must get a test
  • confirmed cases need to isolate for 7 days after their symptoms first occurred or they received their positive test result, whichever ends sooner
  • household contacts need to isolate at least until the confirmed case in their household has completed their 7 days of isolation as above
  • all household contacts must test on day 3 and day 7 or as soon as possible if they develop any symptoms
  • if a household contact tests positive, they become a confirmed case themselves and must isolate for 7 days as above
  • a person who was previously a confirmed case who has finished their 7 days isolation is not considered a household contact for a period of 90 days after their first day of isolation even if someone else in their household becomes a confirmed case
  • other close contacts who are not household contacts do not need to isolate, but should monitor for symptoms.

If a household contact is vaccinated and asymptomatic, they may be able to continue to work if they:

Employers should not request employees who are required to isolate to come into work, unless they are eligible for the bubble of one or close contact exemption scheme.

If an employee is required to self-isolate because they are a household contact, or because they have registered a positive test result for COVID-19, they will be sent a text message from the Ministry of Health’s official 2328 or 2648 number. An employer should accept this text message as proof of an employee’s requirement to isolate.

 

UPDATED 9th of May 2022

Resource of information below: https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/close-contact-exemption-scheme/

“Bubble of one” for workers who are contacts required to isolate.

  • Any business or sole trader may have a worker who is a household contact on-site if this worker is not customer facing, and can maintain a ‘bubble of one’ while at work (including travel to and from work)
  • The requirements are that the worker:
    • is vaccinated
    • does not have any symptoms (asymptomatic)
    • is able to maintain an individual ‘bubble of one’ while at work (whether indoors or outdoors).
  • They are not required to use rapid antigen testing as part of this, nor are businesses required to register for ‘bubble of one’.

At work, the following health measures must be in place. Businesses must have systems and processes in place to support these, and the worker must comply with them:

  • use a mask at all times (including wearing a mask before entry to the workplace, and changing as needed during the day)
  • comply with any infection prevention and control protocols at work
  • work in an indoor or outdoor space with no others present in that space (defined as an indoor space that has direct airflow with other spaces, or an outdoor space that is separated by at least two metres from other outdoor spaces)
  • travel solo or with a household member, to, from and around work or between jobs
  • eat alone in a well-ventilated space, outdoors where possible
  • use a dedicated bathroom (if this is not possible, no others should be present in the bathroom while the worker is using it)
  • ensure that if symptoms develop at any stage, they follow the public advice for contacts with symptoms on the Ministry of Health website

When not at work, the worker must self-isolate as per general guidance, including testing where applicable.

Further information about the current requirements is available from the Ministry of Health.

Grant Hood Contracting – “Bubble of One” Response Plan

Considering the above information from the Ministry of Health and MBIE, Grant Hood Contracting can comply with the following rules and work with its employees to implement “Bubbles of one” for any close contacts provided they are not household contacts of a positive covid case.

Grant Hood Contracting “Bubble of one” operation if you are a close contact of a Covid Positive case:

To be eligible to work as a bubble of one you must be fully vaccinated and not be showing any symptoms (Asymptomatic). You must also not be living with a positive case/be a household contact of anyone with Covid-19.

Step by Step rules for working as a bubble of one.

  • You as the close contact/household will have a work vehicle which you will use to transport yourself to and from site. No other individuals are to use or enter this vehicle.
  • You are not to come to the GHC yard at any point and will get all instruction communicated over the phone.
  • On site you will have one machine allocated. You can go between this machine and work ute only. – Park in an isolated location away from all other GHC staff/other personnel on site.
  • You are not to have any physical/face to face interaction with anyone else on site and are to only communicate with either radios or cell phone communication.
  • Smoko breaks are to be had in your allocated work ute or outside at least 10metres away from anyone else on site. You are not to use any site offices or communal areas.
  • At the end of each day your machine is to be fully sanitised and wiped down using the correct products to ensure hygiene practices are adhered too.
  • Please ensure you are monitoring for symptoms of Covid at all times. If at any stage you develop symptoms, notify Carolyn or Olivia immediately.
  • If you must for any exceptional reason come near another person, you must be wearing a face mask and social distancing by always keeping at least 2m apart.
  • When you are not at work you are to self-isolate as per the standard for close contracts.