16 December 2021 / COVID-19

Next Stage of Eased Restrictions

As of yesterday, Wednesday 15 December, a range of restrictions were eased as over 93% of people aged 16+ have been fully vaccinated and NSW has now moved to the next stage of reopening.

This email update will focus on changes to restrictions that are relevant to the construction industry. For more information about other changes, click the button below to read more.

Get in touch with the Coronavirus Team if you have any questions.

Construction industry changes

The following changes have now taken effect and will incorporate standing restrictions with new rules for the industry.

As per previous restrictions, mandatory vaccination is not required to work on construction sites.

Contact information should continue to be provided via Hutchies' Toolbox Declaration so contact tracing can be performed on site effectively.

Face Masks

Face masks are no longer required when working indoors, on construction sites or when carpooling with other persons who are not members of the same household.

Although not legally required, face masks will continue to be strongly encouraged in settings where social distancing cannot be achieved, particularly when indoors.

Masks are only required on public transport, in airports and on planes, and for unvaccinated indoor hospitality staff.

Density Limits

Previous density limits on indoor areas have now been lifted.

This will mean all construction sites can now operate without any restrictions on density, both indoors and outdoors.

COVID-19 Safety Plans 

COVID-19 Safety Plans are now optional for businesses (including construction) and will continue to be supported by SafeWork NSW.

Service NSW Check In

Checking into the Service NSW QR code is now no longer required on construction sites or in Hutchies' offices.

You may still be required to check in to certain high risk settings.

Hutchies' Toolbox Declaration

For the purposes of contact tracing, Hutchies will continue to utilise its declaration system on all NSW sites to ensure that our teams can effectively maintain internal contact tracing processes.

This means that anyone who enters a Hutchies' site in NSW must still sign in to the Hutchies' declaration daily. The declaration only requires information necessary for contact tracing.

Other methods that sites have employed (eg Contact Harald) can also remain in place to assist with contact tracing.

Contract Tracing Changes

NSW Government contact tracing protocols have changed.

NSW Health no longer lists locations that a COVID-19 case has attended. While NSW won't list exposure sites, they will continue to contact people diagnosed with COVID-19 and their close contacts.

To help streamline this process, changes have also been made to the status and requirements for close contacts:

  • Fully vaccinated close contacts will only have to isolate until they receive a negative PCR result
  • Household close contacts and close contacts in any other settings identified by NSW Health will still be required to isolate for 7days and comply with PCR testing requirements

NSW Health will continue to send text messages to notify positive cases and their close contacts of the specific health advice to follow.

Please follow the advice if you receive a text message from NSW Health. If you are told to self-isolate by NSW Health or get tested for COVID-19 at any time, you must follow this advice.

Hutchies' Site Management Teams will continue to follow NSW Government directions in order to make contact tracing assessments when a positive case is detected on site.

Additionally, contact tracing continues to be handled at a workplace level unless there are 3 positive cases on a site within a 7 day period. If this occurs, NSW Health must be contacted by the Site Management Team.

For more information about contact tracing and COVID-19 cases in workplaces, click the button below.

Potential Increases of Cases on Site

There may be more incidences of cases on site as a result of these reduced restrictions.

It is very important that you continue to get tested if you experience any symptoms regardless of your vaccination status. Sites should also maintain standard COVID Safe practices as detailed below.

COVID-19 can still be transmitted to others by fully vaccinated people, and this will predominantly affect those who are not vaccinated. Getting tested will continue to help minimise the spread of the virus.

If You Test Positive to COVID-19

You must self-isolate at home until medically cleared, even if fully vaccinated. You will receive further advice from NSW Health most likely via text message along with your positive test result.

You must inform Hutchies (either directly or via your employer), household members, and people you have spent time in person with recently.

Maintaining COVID Safe Practices

It is important that sites continue to maintain all of the standard COVID Safe practices that have been in place since the start of the pandemic.

These include:

  • Regular cleaning of all site / office areas and high touch points
  • Ensuring there are adequate hand washing / sanitisation stations and they are restocked regularly
  • Maintaining 1.5m distance from others where practicable
  • Signing in to the Toolbox declaration to provide contact details if required for contact tracing
  • Encouraging testing when symptomatic
  • Giving people time off to attend vaccination appointments

Other Recent Activities

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4 March / Meetings

Thanks for participating in Hutchies' All Company Update.

A copy of the presentation slides is available to download below.

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