17 March 2020 / Safety Alert

HUTCHIES' CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PLAN & PROCEDURES

COVID-19 which is also known as coronavirus has affected many around the world, including Australians both at home and overseas. It is a new viral infection that can give people flu or cold-like symptoms, including sore throat, fever, cough and shortness of breath. The World Health Organisation has declared coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic.

Nobody really knows how long this pandemic will last but the Federal Government indicates that the contagion may not peak until June or July this year. Implementation of posters in all shared facilities (including toilets) and the roll out of our developed resources must be done by Teams as soon as possible – don’t wait for direction.

Coronavirus is most likely to spread by:

  • Direct close contact with a person while they are infectious
  • Close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes
  • Touching objects or surfaces contaminated by a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection so focused hygiene has high priority in all of Hutchies’ planning

Considering all of the above circumstances, Hutchies believes it is prudent to implement a strategy that minimises people’s exposure to coronavirus whilst protecting the business from the impacts as best as we can.

Our objectives are:

  • Keeping our people safe and minimising the risk of exposure to coronavirus
  • Ensuring all of our construction projects remain open whilst observing the directions of the Federal Government and advice of Australia’s health authorities
  • Protecting Hutchies’ business operations
  • Maintaining Hutchies’ off-site functions during this pandemic in support of our overall construction operations

This plan is about being prepared for challenging times ahead and implementing preventative measures and flexible arrangements that reflect the seriousness of the coronavirus and the massive impact it is having at every level across the globe.

These are recommendations and guidelines for Teams to assess – adequate autonomy and flexibility exists for individual Teams to handle things differently and come up with alternative options.

However, Teams are advised not to underestimate the severity of the current situation gripping the world and to take preventative action now – doing nothing is not an option. It is the responsibility of Hutchies’ Teams to implement appropriate changes and act on all recommendations immediately.

Additionally, we have included Hutchies’ procedures on coronavirus (COVID-19) which is also available in poster form for display across all sites and offices.

Greg Quinn
Managing Director
Hutchies

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30 October / Quality Alert

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 1 July 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

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10 October / Update

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.

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