COVID Safety Plan

Wifestyle Products COVID Safety Plan

Current as of: 10/01/2022

Introduction

This plan provides members of the practice team guidance on operating in a COVID-safe way, and helps identify and mitigate risks during the ongoing pandemic.

Purpose and objectives

Our practice is dedicated to the health, safety and wellbeing of all team members, patients, contractors and visitors. In this pandemic environment, we acknowledge additional precautions are required and that these are outlined in this COVID Safety Plan.

1. Practice access and patient flow

To control the flow of people into and through the practice, we will:

• have a management plan in place for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 which enables immediate isolation of that patient, as well as the requirement that the patient don of a surgical face mask to reduce risk of transmission [refer to the RACGP resource Managing patients who present with respiratory symptoms]
• limit patient entry to the entrance located at front when collecting items instead of shipping.
• define foot traffic through the practice using floor markings and signage
• display information at the entrance and ensure clear messaging on the website asking patients to call ahead if they have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 to enable appropriate triage
• display information at the entrance outlining the requirements of entry, ie wearing a mask, have an appointment, be free from symptoms consistent with COVID-19
• require all people entering the practice to don a face mask [patients are asked to bring their own]
• provide access to hand-hygiene products upon entry and exit (and at appropriate locations throughout the practice), such as an alcohol-based hand sanitiser or hand-washing

2. Physical distancing

While acknowledging the nature of medical care means maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 m with a patient is not always possible, our practice will put in place physical distancing measure by:

• providing training to all members of the team

3. Infection-control training

Appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical in limiting the spread of COVID-19. All members of the practice team will:

• ensure standard precautions, including hand hygiene, cough etiquette and appropriate waste-management techniques, are maintained
• be trained in donning and doffing PPE
• wear PPE appropriate to the patient presentation and as per advice from the local public health unit
• dispose of all used PPE in accordance with standard precautions.

5. Environmental management and cleaning

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission between practice team members, we will:

• regularly communicate with all team members regarding the requirement to not attend the practice if they have any symptoms consistent with COVID-19, regardless of how mild, and will encourage testing in line with local public health unit advice
• check the temperature of each practice team member on commencement of work. Where the person registers a temperature >37.5°C they will not enter the practice and will be asked to seek further medical review
• require a verbal/written/electronic attestation from each team member at the commencement of each shift confirming they do not have any symptoms consistent with COVID-19, have not been in contact with a confirmed case, and have not been directed to isolate
• support any team member who tests positive for COVID-19, or is identified as a close contact or is required to self-isolate – including by making them aware of their leave entitlements
• where a team member typically works across a number of sites within the business, minimise movement between sites by scheduling shifts at one location (where possible)
• encourage physical distancing in common areas (ie tea room), through organisation of furniture, floor markings and signage
• encourage tea breaks/lunchbreaks to be taken outside
• stagger breaks to limit the number of people in common areas
• encourage all team members to provide their own drinking vessels and cutlery
• require all team members to thoroughly clean communal items (eg cutlery) immediately after use by washing with hot water and detergent or by placing them in the dishwasher to be washed on the hottest possible setting
• ban the sharing of food on site (eg cake and dips).

8. Responding to a positive case, or close contact, in the practice team

If a member of the practice team tests positive to COVID-19, our practice will:

• contact the local public health unit and follow their advice
• follow the direction of the local public health unit regarding cleaning of the practice
• ensure the team member does not return to the practice until they meet the criteria for release from isolation, and as instructed by the local public health unit
• assist the local public health unit in contact tracing by proving records of all patients, team members and visitors who have attended the practice during the period in which the team member was potentially infectious (as defined by the local public health unit).

[Refer to the RACGP resource Responding to a COVID-19 case in the practice team]

Plan review

This plan will be reviewed regularly to ensure it reflects the current processes and procedures of Wifestyle Products, as well as current legislation requirements and public health directives.

Public health unit contacts

Further resources

RACGP

• COVID-19 infection-control principles
• Managing patients who present with respiratory symptoms
• Responding to a COVID-19 case in the practice team
• How to don personal protective equipment
• How to remove and dispose of personal protective equipment
• Patient alert poster – Symptoms
• Patient alert poster – Masks

Federal Department of Health

• COVID-19 infection control training
• CDNA national guidelines for public health units
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) environmental cleaning and disinfection principles for health and residential care facilities
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance on use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in non-inpatient health care settings, during the COVID-19 outbreak

Safe Work Australia

• COVID-19 Information for workplaces

Disclaimer

The information set out in this publication is current at the date of first publication and is intended for use as a guide of a general nature only and may or may not be relevant to particular patients or circumstances. The RACGP and its employees and agents have no liability (including for negligence) to any users of the information contained in this publication.

© The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2020

This resource is provided under licence by the RACGP. Full terms are available at www.racgp.org.au/usage/licence

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands and seas on which we work and live, and pay our respects to Elders, past, present and future.

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