23 Apr 2020
At 11.59pm next Monday (27 April) New Zealand will enter Covid-19 response level 3. The change of movement will have a significant impact on some engineers (those accessing sites or working in laboratories), while for many others life will continue as it has for the last four weeks. We envision this is a busy week for many of you!
The movement to level 3 is underpinned by two principles:
- Restrict the spread of the virus (community transmission may be happening)
- Allow for economic activity to recommence, wherever possible, with limitations on physical interactions
Under level 3, business premises can be open in a way that doesn’t spread the virus. There can be movement between sites for work. However, with the removal of some of the level 4 restrictions, the Government has asked that everyone work from home if they can and only leave home for required work, school, exercise or getting essentials.
In workplaces, the Government is asking employers to ensure that appropriate physical distancing of workers is maintained, that teams working together maintain a log of interactions and that there are limited interactions between groups of workers. Furthermore, the maintenance of high hygiene standards and the disinfecting of surfaces is required.
There's a lot of information available on level 3, including information about health and safety protocols for those working outside their home. Here are key sources for businesses and employees:
- The Government’s Covid-19 website
- The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (information for employers, employees, small business and others)
- CHASNZ (health and safety protocols for the construction industry)
- Ministry of Health (face mask and hygiene advice)
- Inland Revenue (information on tax changes to support businesses)
We know the move to level 3 will create ambiguity on what is and is not appropriate. If you have particular questions that are not answered by the websites above, please let us know. We can follow-up with contacts in the Government and let you know what we find out.
Also, for those of you still coping with working from home, check out our Engineering New Zealand Covid-19 site for useful information to get you through these difficult times. Please also be in contact by emailing us to tell us what you need and how we can help.
