21 January 2022 / COVID-19

Phase 4 of Queensland's Industry COVID Safe Plan

The Industry Working Group has moved to Phase 4 – 'Living with COVID' – and has updated the Queensland Construction & Related Industries COVID Safe Plan to reflect this. This latest version also incorporates current Queensland Health requirements and some minor refinements to clarify existing procedures.

Hutchies' teams working in Queensland must read the below, implement the changes and circulate the latest copies of the COVID Safe Plan for Phase 4 and Managing Positive Cases & Close / Casual Contacts Update to all Workers / Subcontractors / Suppliers as a priority. This enables everyone to be on the same page with how positive cases and close contacts are managed on construction sites in Queensland.

The Queensland Construction Industry Working Group will continue to meet and will also consult with Queensland Health as the COVID-19 environment evolves. The Industry Plan will be reviewed and amended as Government Directions are updated, and guidance materials are released.

It is important to remember that anyone you interact with at the moment could have coronavirus and everyone should be extra vigilant with COVID safe measures to keep each other safe. You should monitor for symptoms – if any develop, stay home and get tested.

If you are unsure about anything, need to report a positive case / close contact, or have questions about COVID-19, please contact Hutchies' Coronavirus Team.

What's in this update

> Version 2 of the Industry COVID Safe Plan for Phase 4
> Version 3 of the Managing Positive Cases & Contacts Update
> Reporting & managing cases
> Timelines for Positive Case & Close Contact Requirements
> Clarification on Close Contact Isolation Period

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Industry Plan

Key updates include:

  • Phase 4 of the Plan has been developed to align with the industry's managing positive cases processes as we 'live with COVID' 
  • Requirements when working in High Risk Settings are now clearly defined
  • Minor edits of the document have been made to tidy up consistency

Version 2 / 21 January 2022 (superseding Version 1 / 13 December 2021)

Download Plan

qldconstructioncovidsafeplan-positivecase-version3-220121-cover-cmp.jpg

Industry Update

Key updates include:

  • Minor amendments in the wording to simplify the explanation of requirements for confirmed cases and close contacts

Version 3 / 21 January 2022 (superseding Version 2 / 10 January 2022)

Download Update

Reporting & managing cases

Report all cases to Hutchies' Coronavirus Team

Please notify us ASAP of all confirmed cases or close contacts that work for Hutchies or have been on one of our sites or in our offices / yards (including Subcontractors / Suppliers / Visitors).

  1. Email coronavirus@hutchies.com.au
  2. Provide their full name (or name of employer only if not Hutchies)
  3. Date Hutchies was notified
  4. Date of test / when symptoms started (if relevant)
  5. If they worked whilst infectious (and if so the dates / times)
  6. If they have tested positive with RAT or PCR or have symptoms

Under the current Health Directions, everyone has an obligation, including businesses, to undertake contact tracing when managing a positive case. This includes directly notifying anyone they may have been in contact with either at work or home whilst potentially infectious.

The names of individuals reported to Hutchies' Coronavirus Team and who have tested positive for COVID are kept confidential. However, the information provided is used to assist with discreet contact tracing, to provide advice to individuals who may have been in contact with a positive case, to measure the impacts of COVID-19, and to update Hutchies' Payroll and Directors if required.

It is also the personal obligation of positive cases to notify their Team Leader and any other people they interacted more closely with at home or at work in the 2-3 days prior to developing symptoms or receiving a positive test result.

Managing a positive case

When teams are advised of a confirmed positive case, Hutchies' sites and offices must report the case.

If the positive case has been on site or in a Hutchies' office / yard potentially whilst infectious (that is 2-3 days before symptoms or a positive test), the team must follow the 'Managing a Positive Case Process' outlined in the latest Industry Update.

Summary for Hutchies' sites
> Managed by Project / Site Management Team or Team Leader
> Report all cases to coronavirus@hutchies.com.au
> If infectious on site, follow Managing a Positive Case Process
> Step 4 must use the Site Notification to notify Workers / Visitors
> Don't alter the notification 'actions' as they align with Health Directions
> Do not identify positive cases in notifications to protect their privacy

Summary for Hutchies' offices / yards
> Managed by Team Leader / Office Champion
> Report all cases to coronavirus@hutchies.com.au
> If infectious in office / yard, follow Managing a Positive Case Process
> Step 4 must use the Office Notification to notify Workers / Visitors
> Don't alter the notification 'actions' as they align with Health Directions
> Do not identify positive cases in notifications to protect their privacy

Case notifications for the Toowong office will be managed by Hutchies' Coronavirus Team centrally.

Timelines for positive case and contact requirements

Close contact isolation period

For clarity, a close contact's isolation period is defined as:

  • Starting when they are informed or become aware they are a close contact of a diagnosed person
  • Ending after 7 days from the date the diagnosed person took the initial test that returned a positive result (provided the close contact has no symptoms and a test on Day 6 of their quarantine returns a negative result)

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24 March / Training

This qualification applies to individuals working in, or wishing to transition into, a work health and safety (WHS) role who provide a broad range of technical knowledge and skills and have some limited responsibility for the output of others.

The qualification applies to those working as supervisors, WHS personnel, and workers in other WHS-related roles who manage risks effectively, apply relevant WHS laws, and contribute to WHS within the workplace in known or changing contexts with established parameters.

The specific nature of this course will include contextualisation of Hutchies’ Policies, Processes, Procedures, and Systems relating to on-site hazard identification, risk assessment and hierarchy of control measures within the scope of its operations.

Units of competency for the Cert IV WHS that we will cover are:

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  • BSBWHS413 Contribute to Implement & Maintenance of WHS Consultation & Participation Processes
  • BSBWHS414 Contribute to Risk Management
  • BSBWHS415 Contribute to implementing WHS Management Systems
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Funding is available for eligible Queensland participants via CSQ.

For course inquiries call / email Warren Belford on 0427 337 379.

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22 March / Event

Please join us for a night of celebration to recognise Hutchies’ brightest learners 

Every year we identify an exceptional apprentices, cadets and continuous learners from Hutchies’ training and professional development programs.

Date and Time

Saturday, 22 March 2025
5.30pm for 6pm start

Location

Western Districts Rugby Football Club
65 Sylvan Road
Toowong QLD 4066
view map

Enquiries

Michelle Buckland
0447 758 566
training@hutchinsonbuilders.com.au

RSVP

Places are limited - please confirm
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3 - 8 March / Weather Alert

With the threat of Tropical Cyclone Alfred tracking towards SEQ and forecast to make landfall from Thursday onwards, it is extremely important that we prepare our projects the best we can.

If all projects between Bundaberg and Byron Bay could today start the process of storm / cyclone preparations. 

This should be completed and documented using the Inspections > Site Shut Down - Cyclone Preparation Checklist F-084-C tab located on HammerTech.

Please note, any project that has an erected tower crane will also need to ensure they have updated documented advice from their crane engineer outlining the correct weathervane radius, this should be specific to your project. 

Hutchies' owned and managed cranes can coordinate this through Bradley Beck, all third party supplied cranes will need to actioned with their nominated representatives.

Any questions please call Jimmy Andersen on 0400 220 381 to discuss.

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11 Feb - 1 Mar / General

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Nominate by COB Friday, 28 February 2025

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