Back to Website

DAT Autogroup - COVID-19 Safe Registered

DAT Autogroup COVID-19 Safety Plan - Effective from 31/7/2020

To remain a registered COVIDSafe Business, it is required that we must follow all current COVID-19 Public Health Orders as well as manage risks to staff and customers in accordance with Work Health and Safety laws.

This is why we have developed a COVID-19 Safety Plan, and why as a company we have made the decision to not only meet, but exceed the recommendations from Health Authorities such as NSW Health & WHO, and also Government Departments such as the relevant State Governments (Mainly the New South Wales Government & Victorian Government) as well as the recommendations from the Australian Government.

Wellbeing of Staff and Customers

DAT Autogroup is dedicated to ensuring the wellbeing of our Staff, Customers & their families. During these unprecedented times, it is important that as a company we take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of our Staff, Customers and their families.

  • All staff are now required to fill out a Daily Declaration before commencing work for the day (detailed below in the Record Keeping section of this document)

.

  • Any staff members who have entered Victoria in the past 21 Days are now required to undergo COVID-19 testing every seven (7) days without the requirement to isolate.
    (In the event that any symptoms present (even if questionable), the staff member will be required to immediately self-isolate and receive testing every 7 days)
  • Any staff member that is showing symptoms (even if questionable) are required to immediately self-isolate and undergo COVID Testing every seven (7) days until either 21 Days has passed or medical clearance in writing is provided.
  • If/When a staff member becomes unwell whilst working:

1. The staff member is required to immediately self-isolate and contact their GP.

2. The staff member is required to immediately complete a COVID-19 Test. 

3. A history of who that staff member came in contact with and the locations visited  will be consolidated.
4. Any vehicles that a staff member has driven/come into contact with will be consolidated.

Additionally, all staff are encouraged to download the official COVIDSafe App to assist in any contact tracing requirements or potential close-contact warnings for time spent both during and outside of work.

PPE

 For all vehicles that originate or have been held in an area classed as a “COVID-19 Hot Spot”, DAT Autogroup ensures that the vehicle undergoes:

Training

All staff are required to complete the official NSW Health Online COVID-19 Training Modules. All Staff are also provided with notice and training of our new policies & procedures outlined in this document and provided with all relevant/available official fact sheets.

We endeavour to provide our staff members with the best and most recent official information regarding:

  • Working Safely and Stopping the spread of COVID-19
  • COVID-19 testing (and when to get tested)
  • Isolation requirements (and when to isolate)
  • Hygiene and cleaning.

Physical Distancing

A number of policies and requirements are now in place to ensure that physical distancing is maintained among staff members and also between staff members and our customers.

  • Implementation of 1.5 Metres Physical Distancing across our entire premises.
  • When completing a pick-up or drop-off, all drivers are required to complete a contactless service where possible.
    (In the event where this is not possible, drivers are required to ensure physical distancing and to take precautions such as using hand sanitiser (both before and after interactions), wearing masks, gloves, etc.)
  • 1 Person, Per Vehicle rule to ensure physical distancing in enclosed spaces- with the exception of the following:
  • Drivers who alternate (2-Up on Interstate Travel)
  • “Shuttle" services or customers who are unable to organise their own transport (ie. at the scene of an accident, breakdown or remote location). 
  • In the event that any individual job requires more than one (1) driver/operator. 
  • In the event of staff members living in the same household or of the same family.
  • When drivers are in the same locale or on the same transport route, all drivers are required to

maintain social distancing by not taking rest, food or fuel breaks together. In the event that this can not be avoided, drivers must maintain a 1.5 metre distance between them at all times.


Physical Distancing cont.

  • All drivers have been instructed to only stop when required (outside of pick-up and delivery). 

Some acceptable reasons for this are (but not limited to): 

  • Refuelling
  • Rest breaks
  • Food breaks 
  • In the event of an emergency.
  • When drivers are making an overnight stay, they are encouraged to remain either in their hotel room or vehicle (where a sleeper cab is equipped and suitable other than for the reasons listed above).

Hygiene and Cleaning

To adopt and ensure the highest level of hygiene and cleaning practices, DAT Autogroup has:

  • Equipped every vehicle is with hand sanitiser dispensers.
  • Equipped every office and common area with hand sanitiser dispensers.
  • Ensured that all sanitisation and disinfection products supplied to staff/vehicles meet or exceed the minimum requirements and official recommendations.
  • Provided training to all staff members on how and when to use hand sanitiser dispensers.

Leave Entitlements

All staff have been given notice and information of leave entitlements in the event that they are required to self-isolate or contract COVID-19.

Record Keeping

To ensure that DAT Autogroup holds the most current and accurate records of staff members, there whereabouts, site-visitors, vehicles and clost-contact & physical interactions, we have implemented the following:

  • Further Reporting and Utilisation of the Constant GPS Tracking System that is equipped on every vehicle in our fleet.
    (which also includes logs of locations, duration of stop-over, etc).
  • All visitors to any DAT Autogroup site are now required to sign in to our Contactless COVID-19 Site Entry Portal before entry.
    (The new COVID-19 Site Entry Declaration is part of our Standard Site Entry declaration)
  • All staff members are now required to register a declaration for work duties in our COVID portal every day / every vehicle change.

Safety Measures in relation to Vehicles from origins classed as Hot Spots

For all vehicles that originate or have been held in an area classed as a “COVID-19 Hot Spot”, DAT Autogroup ensures that the vehicle undergoes:

  • The creation of an Isolation of a dedicated isolation / quarantine secured area - known as the Allocated Quarantine Area (AQA).
  • Isolation of Vehicle in our storage facilities into the Allocated Quarantine Area (AQA).
  • Complete sanitsation of vehicle before any transport, delivery or dispatch.
    (This occurs on arrival and is completed when all compound receival documentation and inspection reports have been completed and entered to our system)
  • Once sanitisation and deep-cleaning has been completed, we allocate the vehicles to the quarantined area on our site, away from all personnel, where they must remain for a minimum period of 24 Hours undisturbed.
  • “Tag Out” - indicating that the vehicle has originated or held in a “COVID-19 Hot Spot” and that all checks and procedures have been performed.
  • Once the mandatory minimum 24 Hour Period has expired, it is only then that authorised personnel will be given access to the quarantine area to relocate the vehicles to the Ready For Transport (RFT) Load Lanes awaiting transport collection.

Cooperation with NSW Health

 In the event that any information held by DAT Autogroup is able to assist NSW Health in contact tracing or at the request of NSW Health, DAT Autogroup is committed to voluntarily provide any/all required information.

Specifically, when required DAT Autogroup will take the following actions:

  • In the event that a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the information mentioned above (Including but not limited to close-contacts, locations, durations and times) will be consolidated and provided to NSW Health.
  • In the event of a positive case, NSW Health & SafeWork NSW will be contacted immediately by our senior management for us to enforce the most appropriate actions and provide any/all information we hold relating to the positive case.

In addition to the information outlined below, we have implemented an online portal to provide all the relevant and required information to all DAT Autogroup staff.