As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation changes rapidly, our focus remains on two things: keeping our staff healthy and safe across all our Domestic and International operations and the ongoing servicing of our clients’ needs. We know that business must go on, and we’re doing everything we can to facilitate that. In addition to heeding Government and Health advice and adapting to any policies or protocols that may emerge in the coming months, Hydrobiology is proactively mitigating our public health risk by implementing the following measures:
Social Distancing
- Remote working is now in effect, with 50% of our workforce now working from home. By distributing our workforce, we are mitigating against potential operational impact should a COVID-19 case present.
- Office configurations have been altered, to ensure workstations are spaced to maximise hygienic buffers.
- Virtual meetings and workshops are actively encouraged, negating the need for face-to-face appointments where possible.
Health and Hygiene
- Employees who present with cold or flu-like symptoms are encouraged to immediately self-isolate and seek medical advice, including COVID-19 testing.
- Hand sanitizers have been installed across our offices and employees are actively utilising them.
- Workstations are being kept extra clean, antibacterial wipes and sprays have been provided to facilitate this.
Operations
- Our formal HSEQ and JSEA documentation have been updated to include specific COVID-19 preventative protocols.
- All field staff are now undertaking precautionary quarantine measures.
- Overseas field work has been postponed for 1-calendar month but will continually be reviewed in accordance with Federal advice.
- Currently the Australian, State and Territory Governments are yet to limit domestic travel and will proceed in accordance with Government and Aviation advice.
As we all navigate these challenging times, please rest assured that our focus remains on keeping our staff healthy and safe and maintaining business continuity, in the new (albeit temporary) normal. We hope you all stay healthy and safe during these unprecedented times.
The Hydrobiology Team
