News | 12 March

The impacts of the coronavirus outbreak are being felt right across Australia, including our local and regional communities here in Victoria.

The State Government’s response has been swift and indeed appropriate as our state’s health system prepares itself for an emerging COVID-19 pandemic with a new plan to manage more cases and the growing risk of an outbreak in Victoria.  We compliment the Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Health, Jenny Mikakos, and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton, on the release this week the COVID-19 Pandemic Plan for the Victorian Health Sector.

CCF Victoria is closely monitoring the current situation and will continue to follow the advice provided by the Australian Government’s Chief Medical Officer. https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert#travellers-and-visitors

I have also received personal contact and messages from many CCF members, staff and stakeholders who are carefully monitoring the situation and have implemented their own precautionary measures including re-inforcing personal hygiene in the workplace.  Attached below is a link to WorkSafe’s current safety alert regarding Coronavirus: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safety-alerts/exposure-coronavirus-workplaces

Together with WorkSafe Victoria, who are working as part of a whole-of-government approach to mitigate the risk of Coronavirus in Victoria, CCF supports the use of their guidance material produced to ensure that employers understand their obligations in relation to protecting employees from risks to their health, and that employees know what controls should be in place.  This guidance material is available to you on preparing for pandemics, which includes information on managing the direct risks of infection via the attached link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/preparing-pandemic-guide-employers

As you aware, CCF is conducting and participating in a number of “face-to-face” industry meetings including our forthcoming Rail Sector Breakfast at Holmesglen Institute, and a series of Workplace Manslaughter Regional Chapter Workshops over the ensuing months.  Pending any advice to the contrary, we will continue to deliver our scheduled meetings and events for the foreseeable future. Should this situation change, we will advise you immediately.

If you have any particular concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me on (0421) 342-398, or our HSEQ Officer, Trevor Derham on (0458) 363-368.

Kind regards,

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