18 December 2020 / COVID-19

Northern Beaches Cluster

Please note this is a public announcement – not an announcement from Hutchies.

Please take the time to review the Public Health Alert as well as the lists below. If you have been at one of the venues at the time identified, inform your Team Leader and make arrangements to follow the steps required by the NSW Government below.

Public Health Alert: Northern Beaches Local Government Area

To assist contact tracing and to contain any potential spread of COVID-19, NSW Health asks that from Friday 18 December to Sunday 20 December 2020, people living in the Northern Beaches Local Government Area take the following steps.

Work from home and remain at home as much as possible.
Do not visit friends or relatives in aged care facilities or hospitals unless essential.
Avoid unnecessary gatherings.
Keep to your household group.
Avoid visiting high-risk venues including clubs, restaurants, places of worship and gyms.
Avoid unnecessary travel outside the Northern Beaches area.

People from outside the area should avoid unnecessary travel to the Northern Beaches during this time.

See the public health alert for more details.

Venues of Concern

Self-isolate and get tested immediately if you've been to these locations

If you have been to any of these locations during the time and date indicated you should:

immediately self-isolate until 14 days after you were last there
get tested even if you have no symptoms
watch for COVID-19 symptoms and get retested should any symptoms recur
even if you get a negative test, you must stay in isolation for 14 days as it can take 14 days before you may show symptoms or test positive.

Location	Dates
Avalon: Avalon RSL Club	Friday 11 December All day until closed Anyone who visited this venue at the above time should get tested immediately and self-isolate until NSW Health provides further information.
Avalon Beach: Avalon Bowlo (bowling club), 4 Bowling Green Lane	Sunday 13 December 5pm to 7pm Tuesday 15 December 3pm to 5pm
Avalon Beach: Bangkok Sidewalk Restaurant, 1/21-23 Old Barrenjoey Road	Monday 14 December 7pm to 8pm
Avalon Beach: Barramee Thai Massage and Spa, 4/42-44 Old Barrenjoey Road	Monday 14 December 2pm to 3:30pm
Avalon Beach: Sneaky Grind Café	Monday 14 December 9:30am to 11am
Kirribilli: Kirribilli Club	Monday 14 December 12pm to 3pm Anyone who visited this venue at the above time should get tested immediately and self-isolate until NSW Health provides further information.
Palm Beach: Palm Beach female change rooms (in toilet block with small change area at the swimming pool at the southern end)	Sunday 13 December 9am to 9:15am
Palm Beach: Coast Palm Beach Café, Barrenjoey Road	Sunday 13 December 10am to 11am
Penrith: Penrith RSL Club	Sunday 13 December 1pm to 6pm Anyone who visited this venue at the above time should get tested immediately and self-isolate until NSW Health provides further information.
Train: Roseville to Redfern	Monday 14 December 6:50am to 7:40am
Train: Redfern to Milsons Point	Monday 14 December 11:20am to 11:45am
Train: Milsons Point to Roseville	Monday 14 December 3:15pm to 3:40pm

Monitor for symptoms if you've been to these locations

If you have been to any of these locations or travelled on nominated public transport routes during the time and date indicated you should:

watch for COVID-19 symptoms
if symptoms occur, immediately get tested and self-isolate.

Location	Dates
Artarmon: Roof Racks World, 13/87 Reserve Road	Tuesday 15 December 2pm to 2:30pm
Avalon: Careel Bay Dog Park & Hitchcock Park, Barrenjoey Road	Wednesday 16 December 7:00am - 7:30am
Avalon: Hungry Ghost Café, 20 Avalon Parade	Sunday 13 December 9:30am to 11am Tuesday 15 December 9:30am to 11am Updated advice at 17 December: Anyone who attended was previously identified as a close contact. This risk assessment has now been updated based on new information and anyone who attended is now considered a casual contact and should monitor for symptoms. If symptoms occur, get tested immediately and self-isolate until you receive a negative result.
Avalon Beach: Avalon Beach Post Shop, 45 Avalon Parade	Wednesday 16 December 3:30pm to 3:50pm
Avalon Beach: Chemist Warehouse, 4/74 Old Barrenjoey Road	Monday 14 December 5:20pm to 5:25pm
Avalon Beach: Commonwealth Bank, 47 Avalon Parade	Tuesday 15 December 12pm to 12:15pm
Avalon Beach: Mitre 10, 49 Avalon Parade	Tuesday 15 December 12pm - 12.20 pm
Avalon Beach: North Avalon Cellars, 4/3 North Avalon Road	Tuesday 15 December 6pm to 6:05pm
Avalon Beach: Oliver’s Pie, Careel Shopping Village, 1 Careel Head Road	Monday 14 December 9am to 9:15am
Avalon Beach: Surf Life Saving Club	Sunday 13 December, Monday 14 December and Tuesday 15 December 9am to 9:30am
Avalon Beach: Woolworths, 74 Old Barrenjoey Road	Sunday 13 December 12pm to 5pm Monday 14 December 5pm to 5:30pm Tuesday 15 December 12pm to 12:30pm
Dee Why: Dee Why Fruit Market, 33 Oaks Avenue	Tuesday 15 December 4:45pm to 4:55pm
Dee Why: HongFa BBQ Restaurant	Tuesday 15 December 4:30pm to 4:45pm
Mona Vale: Aldi Mona Vale, 13 Bungan Street	Sunday 13 December 12:45pm to 1:30pm
Mona Vale: Bing Lee, Gateway, 1 Mona Vale Road	Monday 14 December 4:30pm to 4:45pm
Mona Vale: Woolworths Mona Vale, 25/29 Park Street	Sunday 13 December 12pm to 12:30pm
North Narrabeen: Brot and Wurst, 1442 Pittwater Road	Wednesday 16 December 2pm to 2:05pm
Palm Beach: Palm Beach Pool, Lot 1 Rock Bath Road	Wednesday 16 December 8am to 9am
Palm Beach: Palm Beach Rockpool, Lot 1 Rock Bath Road	Monday 14 December 9:30am to 10:30am
Peakhurst: Gannons Park, Forest Rangers FC, Little Rangers session	Friday 11 December 4:30pm to 5:30pm Any adults who were present should get tested immediately and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. They should continue to monitor for symptoms and if any symptoms occur, get tested again. Children who were present should be monitored for symptoms and get tested if any symptoms occur.

Other Recent Activities

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30 October / Quality Alert

Prohibition on the Use of Engineered Stone

Engineered stone ban effective 1 July 2024

ALL engineered stone regardless of the silica content percentage will be banned

Alternative products must be considered and implemented on all projects.

The industry is shifting away from engineered stone due to the risks of respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis and other silica-related diseases. Although the consultations are under way and there has been no official announcement by Federal or State Governments on the issue, the health and safety risks along with the uncertainty around this issue warrants a decision to ban all engineered products entering job sites nationally. The ban will take effect on 1July 2024 and will extend to ALL engineered stone regardless of the silica content percentage.

An update to this alert will be provided before the end of the year when the Federal and State Governments are expected to issue a formal decision on the ban. In the meantime, to mitigate the impact of potential delays and variations, the best approach is to inform the clients of the pending ban and to propose and seek approval for an alternative product. Similarly, ensure all future estimates have the stone specification qualified and priced accordingly.

Product alternatives going forward include:

Compact Laminates

Under 1% silica content
Extremely competitive pricing
Only comes in 12mm thickness
Heat resistance is an issue
Product not suitable for high end applications

Porcelain Surfaces

Under 10% silica content
Price dependant of product and supplier
Large variety of colours and thicknesses (4, 8, 12, 20 and 30mm)
Great resistance to staining, scratches, UV and heat
Good warranty terms

Acrylic Solid Surfaces

0% silica content
More expensive alternative
Limited thickness availability
UV stable and heat resistant but direct heat exposure not advised
Minimising wastage through flexibility in sheet sizing
Seamless joints

Natural Stone*

Various silica content percentages
Variety of products at different price points available
Ongoing maintenance may be an issue
Unlikely to satisfy specific warranty requirements

*Although this alert does not directly impact natural stone, some types have high silica content so risk of using these on projects should be considered carefully.

For an up-to-date list of available products and their usability, click here.

More information

If you need additional support, please contact the Quality Team:

Phone 1300 HUTCHIES
Email QualityTeam@hutchinsonbuilders.com.au

10 October / Update

Installation Details for Elephant's Foot & Wastech Bin Chutes

Make sure bin chute systems are installed correctly, following the tested systems and the manufacturers’ instructions.

Check the detailed drawings from Elephant’s Foot and Wastech for different wall types (plasterboard, shaft-liner, speed panel, concrete, Hebel, and masonry).

Any changes to the tested systems must be approved by your project certifier, signed off by the fire engineer in the fire engineering report (FER), and accepted by the relevant state / territory fire service.