Heavy vehicle owner-drivers and fleet operators alike need to put COVID-Safe Plans into place as the economy re-opens, the National Road Transport Association said today.
NatRoad has produced a COVID Safe Plan Framework, suitable for adoption by its members regardless of their size.
“Road freight has kept Australia moving throughout the pandemic but COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon,” Mr Clark said.
“It’s time for all of us to take stock of our operations so we can continue to function in a way that keeps the community, ourselves and our families safe.”
The COVID-Safe Framework is designed to support commercial freight and logistics operators in maintaining a safe workplace and complying with government and public health directives by having a documented COVID Safety Plan in place.
It covers access to the workplace, physical distancing, infection-control training, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and environmental cleaning and management.
The Framework also provides a guide to record-keeping, responding to a positive case or close contact in the workforce, work team management, and limiting interactions in closed spaces.
Mr Clark said the trucking industry had shown enormous flexibility in dealing with the barrage of rule changes and confusing red tape that has varied from state to state.
“While we won’t stop arguing for more consistency on all those issues, we also have to look to the future and adapt,” Mr Clark said.
A COVID Plan is already mandatory for Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Freight workers entering the NT must submit an online COVID-19 Freight Risk Mitigation Management Plan to the Territory Government before entry.
