Your rights and responsibilities

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Your safety and PPE 

Last updated 17 January 2022.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the ANMF (SA Branch) Member Assist team via our Member Assist Form

Additional information can be found at the Department of Health website.

Q.What PPE do I need? And what if my employer isn’t providing it?

If you are providing care for patients who have or are suspected to have coronavirus, your employer must provide you with appropriate PPE to ensure you can do your job safely.

The PPE must be readily accessible to you so you can access it when you need it. Your employer also needs to ensure you are trained in how to use the PPE safely.

 

For more information visit SA Health's PPE Matrix and infection control recommendations. This document provides advice on what personal protective equipment (PPE) is required and what type of room is appropriate for the patient. The matrix has been developed by SA Health Infectious Disease Physicians for use in the care of hospital patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19.

For more information view the COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Decision Matrix.

Report PPE concerns

If you have concerns that your employer is not providing you with the necessary PPE (or is making it very difficult to access) and/or is not training people in its safe use, then you should:

  1. Put in an incident report at your workplace AND
  2. Escalate your concerns to your employer in writing and ask for an urgent response.

If your concerns are not being taken seriously, contact the Duty Officer. You can also contact SafeWork SA on 1800 777 209 in an emergency.

Q.What does my employer need to do?

A. Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws require employers to take every step, so far as reasonably practicable, to eliminate or minimise the risk of workers and others contracting COVID-19. This will require employers to have a COVID-19 work plan containing a range of control measures.

Employers must genuinely consult workers and unions on measures to control the health and safety risks of COVID-19. Workers should be provided with clear direction and guidance about what is expected of them, in particular:

  • workers should know when to stay away from the workplace
  • what action to take if they become unwell, and
  • what symptoms to be concerned about.

We know that the most effective action employers can take is to ask employees to identify potential exposure to COVID-19 and to financially support them to self-isolate with paid special leave. This is something the ANMF is advocating for.

Q Do I have to work overtime and if so, how much is reasonable?

A. Some areas of the health care system are likely to experience high demand because of the coronavirus (for example Intensive Care Units, emergency departments and pathology laboratories). While employers can ask their employees to work additional hours, those additional hours must be reasonable.

If the pandemic worsens, it will be critical that employers manage the fatigue and general wellbeing of employees. This will usually be in accordance with workplace specific Fatigue Management Systems. Employers should consider all available options to meet increased or changed service needs, including offering additional hours to part-time and casual employees, offering paid overtime or time-off-in-lieu arrangements or engaging additional resources.

Q. If I am concerned about transmission in the course of my work, what should I do? Can I refuse to work?

A. Your health and safety is paramount.

If you’ve got concerns, the first step should be to talk to your employer and the Health and Safety Representative.

Stopping or leaving work because of a coronavirus concern should only occur if there is a direct or imminent risk to your health. This will depend on the circumstances, but could include:

  • That you have firm evidence you might be exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus; or
  • That you have firm evidence you might be exposed to someone who has travelled to a high-risk country in the last 14 days.

In these circumstances, Health and Safety Representatives may direct a stoppage of work.

Q. As part of my duties I have to complete lung/spirometry assessments, requiring patients to forcefully exhale air within close proximity to a nurse. Is it safe to continue to do this? What PPE should I be provided with?

A. We would advise it is safe to continue to perform such tests if necessary for patient care, however it would be worth chatting to your employer to ensure the appropriate safety protocols are in place to ensure the safety of staff – making sure nurses are supplied with proper PPE, e.g., wearing goggles, surgical masks, etc, while undertaking the test if that is deemed appropriate.

Here is a link to a webpage the government has formulated regarding recommendations for the use of PPE during hospital care of people with COVID-19. This will obviously just be a guide as you are not a hospital and not dealing with people infected with COVID-19, but may be helpful.

Q. Can I get workers' compensation benefits if I contract COVID-19 at work?

A.Workers who contract COVID-19 in the course of their employment may be able to claim workers' compensation benefits for any time lost or medical care required.

However, it may be challenging to prove that work was the significant contributing cause of the injury in light of the growing number of community infections. You should contact the Duty Officer for assistance if you are unable to work due to contracting COVID-19 at work.

Q. As a pregnant healthcare worker, can I still work or request a change in my work environment to limit my exposure to Covid positive patients?

Discussion with your obstetrician/physician would be recommended as to your suitability to continue working.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists:

RANZCOG recommends that, where possible, pregnant health care workers be allocated to patients, and duties, that have reduced exposure to patients with, or suspected to have COVID-19 infection. All personnel should observe strict hygiene protocols and have full access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The College also urges employers to be sensitive to the fact that pregnant women are, appropriately, often anxious about their own health and protective of their unborn baby. Consideration should be given to reallocation to lower-risk duties, working from home, or leave of absence.

Here is a link to a webpage with further information that may be helpful.

 

It is important to discuss with your employer any concerns that you may have and where possible other options to work placement to be considered if needed.

Q. Can I refuse to care for a patient that is not vaccinated against Covid -19?

A. No, National Boards expect all health practitioners to facilitate access to care regardless of someone’s vaccination status.

A joint statement from the 15 National Boards and AHPRA has been published to provide guidance to Australian registered health practitioners in relation to the facilitation of access to care in the current COVID-19 environment.

The guidance reinforces existing codes and guidelines and makes clear that National Boards expect practitioners to facilitate access to care regardless of someone’s vaccination status. People cannot be denied care if steps can be taken to keep the person, health practitioners and their staff safe.

The Guidance can be accessed here.

 

Q. What are the current vaccination requirements for health care staff?

A. The current requirements should be accessed at the SA Health website.

The Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Healthcare Setting Workers Vaccination No 5) Direction 2021 has been released and it comes into effect at 12:01 am on 29 January 2022 which revokes the Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Healthcare Setting Workers Vaccination No 4) Direction 2021.

The SA Health webpage also includes some commonly asked questions regarding healthcare setting workers.

Q. When can I get my Booster Vaccination?

A. Vaccinations are available now for anyone over the age of 5 in South Australia.

COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are recommended to maintain immunity against the virus.

All people aged 18 and over who have had their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least four months ago are eligible for a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 booster dose.

The eligibility for Booster doses is under continual review so to ensure you are accessing the most up to date information regarding eligibility for Booster doses then further information is available on the SA Health website.

 

Q. I work within an Aged Care facility, but I am confused about the requirements for testing and clearance to return to work – when do I need to complete tests?

A. The Office for Ageing Well within SA Health have developed a fact sheet for Residential Aged Care facilities - Residential Aged Care Facilities Interim guidance for the management of COVID-19 outbreaks, which will be available to download on their website. The fact sheet states:

Return to work for staff who have been deemed a ‘close contact’ following exposure to COVID-19 in the community Where the RACF is experiencing workforce shortages, the following testing/quarantine regime can be followed to enable a staff member who has been deemed a ‘close contact’ to return to work:
  • If the staff member’s initial PCR is negative, the staff member may return to work in full PPE. They must still quarantine at all other times when not at work, in line with SA Health directions.
  • The staff member must get a COVID-19 PCR test on day 6 after exposure (a negative day 6 PCR test is required to be released from quarantine).
  • The staff member must submit to daily RAT prior to commencing work in a RACF for 14 days after exposure.

Staff returning to work under these circumstances must wear appropriate PPE at all times when at work and should take breaks outside and away from others.

Due to the high volume of requests and limited resources to conduct regular, frequent domiciliary PCR testing in RACF, rapid antigen testing (RAT) may be used in place of PCR tests.

The Australian Government Department of Health have also created interim guidance on managing the workforce in regard to Covid-19 in aged care and this can be accessed here.

 


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