COVID-19: MTIANZ Health and Safety Guidelines
While New Zealand remains at Alert Level 4, the Government yesterday afternoon released more information on what Alert Level 3 will look like. We now have a clearer picture of what types of businesses will be able to operate at a different alert level.
The Prime Minister will make a further announcement on Monday 20 April about when a move to a different alert level might occur.
While methamphetamine testing and decontamination businesses will be able to get back to work when we move to Alert Level 3, there are a number of important health measures businesses will need to take to keep workers and clients safe.
As we prepare to return to work, a key focus for the MTIANZ is the development of new health and safety guidlines for the industry. Safety is the main criteria the government has used to decide what types of businesses can start operating at Alert Level 3.
Read about Alert Level 3
The Prime Minister will make a further announcement on Monday 20 April about when a move to a different alert level might occur.
While methamphetamine testing and decontamination businesses will be able to get back to work when we move to Alert Level 3, there are a number of important health measures businesses will need to take to keep workers and clients safe.
As we prepare to return to work, a key focus for the MTIANZ is the development of new health and safety guidlines for the industry. Safety is the main criteria the government has used to decide what types of businesses can start operating at Alert Level 3.
Read about Alert Level 3
Health and Safety Guidelines
The Methamphetamine Testing Industry Association of New Zealand health and safety guidelines for operating under COVID-19 alert levels have been developed and are now available to the sector.
Consistent health and safety standards are essential to both protect sampling technicians and stop the spread of COVID-19, and to give people confidence that it is safe to return to work. The guidelines lay out the key principles and requirements for healthy and safe operations under COVID-19 Alert Levels 2 and 3.
It's very important for methamphetamine sampling technicians and everyone who is permitted on properties to understand and work to these new guidelines.
The guidelines represent current best practice, and the expectation is all methamphetamine assessment and decontamination businesses and workers will apply them, and do the right thing. The sooner we can stamp out COVID-19 in New Zealand, the sooner our businesses can thrive again. A return to Alert Level 4 will have even more serious consequences for our businesses, jobs and economy.
Consistent health and safety standards are essential to both protect sampling technicians and stop the spread of COVID-19, and to give people confidence that it is safe to return to work. The guidelines lay out the key principles and requirements for healthy and safe operations under COVID-19 Alert Levels 2 and 3.
It's very important for methamphetamine sampling technicians and everyone who is permitted on properties to understand and work to these new guidelines.
The guidelines represent current best practice, and the expectation is all methamphetamine assessment and decontamination businesses and workers will apply them, and do the right thing. The sooner we can stamp out COVID-19 in New Zealand, the sooner our businesses can thrive again. A return to Alert Level 4 will have even more serious consequences for our businesses, jobs and economy.
The following Precautions should be put into practice within your internal Health and Safety Policy before any return to work can commence:
1. Contact Tracing
A register of anyone you come into contact with on a day to day basis shall be maintained. Keeping in mind this should be kept to an absolute minimum.
2. Wellness Declaration (Occupant)
Have clients sign a wellness declaration with the following questions:
If the occupants advises you that any of the above are positive then access to the property should be re-arranged.
3. Wellness Declaration (Sampling Technician)
A Sampling Technician should have a signed wellness declaration to give occupants confidence that technicians are asymptomatic. A declaration with the following acknowledgments should be produced upon request;
This may be requiring occupants to stay in a particular room whilst assessments are being conducted and relocating from that room to another before samples are collected.
5. Full PPE equipment at all times (optional)
It is recommended that full PPE be worn whenever occupants or other people are on-site. PPE suggested could include, Mask, Hazmat suits, Gloves, Booties. A new set of PPE gear should be used for each property tested. Note: this may be varied depending on a company’s internal PPE Policy or if circumstances do not allow it.
6. Implement strategy for arriving home and for between going to each property
This could include ensuring children are and other occupants are located in another room, whilst clothing is placed in the washing machine and the sampling technician has a shower before greeting other occupant.
7. Self-accreditation program
The Government is releasing a Self-Accreditation Program which will be available of the COVID-19 Website. MTIANZ would encourage businesses to complete this process.
8. Minimise Contact
The key message here is to respect people’s bubbles. If you can enter the property whilst vacant, this would be preferable. If you can collect keys by way of contactless transfer I.E a lockbox, this would be preferable. If none of these options are available, respect the bubble! and make sure you can implement all the above points 1-7.
A register of anyone you come into contact with on a day to day basis shall be maintained. Keeping in mind this should be kept to an absolute minimum.
2. Wellness Declaration (Occupant)
Have clients sign a wellness declaration with the following questions:
- Have you returned to New Zealand from overseas in the past 14 days?
- Are you feeling unwell and showing symptoms associated with Covid-19?
If the occupants advises you that any of the above are positive then access to the property should be re-arranged.
3. Wellness Declaration (Sampling Technician)
A Sampling Technician should have a signed wellness declaration to give occupants confidence that technicians are asymptomatic. A declaration with the following acknowledgments should be produced upon request;
- I currently am not displaying any symptoms associated with COVID-19
- I am keeping a register of all persons I come in =to contact with for traceability.
- I am taking all Industry specific Health and Safety Precautions to ensure the current Government imposed COVID -19 Alert Level restrictions can be achieved. Sampling Technician to take responsibility of social distancing
This may be requiring occupants to stay in a particular room whilst assessments are being conducted and relocating from that room to another before samples are collected.
5. Full PPE equipment at all times (optional)
It is recommended that full PPE be worn whenever occupants or other people are on-site. PPE suggested could include, Mask, Hazmat suits, Gloves, Booties. A new set of PPE gear should be used for each property tested. Note: this may be varied depending on a company’s internal PPE Policy or if circumstances do not allow it.
6. Implement strategy for arriving home and for between going to each property
This could include ensuring children are and other occupants are located in another room, whilst clothing is placed in the washing machine and the sampling technician has a shower before greeting other occupant.
7. Self-accreditation program
The Government is releasing a Self-Accreditation Program which will be available of the COVID-19 Website. MTIANZ would encourage businesses to complete this process.
8. Minimise Contact
The key message here is to respect people’s bubbles. If you can enter the property whilst vacant, this would be preferable. If you can collect keys by way of contactless transfer I.E a lockbox, this would be preferable. If none of these options are available, respect the bubble! and make sure you can implement all the above points 1-7.
MTIANZ Health Declaration
Please feel free to download and use the below Assessment Health Declaration to be filled in for each occupant of a dwelling during an assessment. This provides a great easy to use resource for contact tracing should anyone become symptomatic.
