All ETU Power Industry Members,

We are working with the industry to ensure that all members are able to continue working and continue to provide essential services to the community. Part of this is looking forward into the future and trying to mitigate the risks and quarantine provisions that will be enforced on the industry if there is any exposure to COVID-19. The most important thing as always is everyone’s safety and keeping our members working.
 
To enable ETU members to continue working and minimise any spread of COVID-19, we have developed the following list of containment and risk mitigation measures which we hope will limit and slow down the spread of the Virus within the industry and your communities. Therefore, enabling our members to continue to work safely for a much longer period during this time. We encourage all workgroups to implement these measures as a minimum and ensure that JSEAs are used to document all measures taken on site to protect yourselves. We acknowledge that tasks may take longer than usual, and some work practices will need to change. This should not be a justification for employers’ refusal to implement all risk mitigation measures in full.

• Staggered start and finish times for crews.
• Start & finish from home where possible.
• Avoid congregating in depots/sites.
• One person per vehicle where possible.
• Sanitizer and wash stations available on all sites and vehicles.
• 1.5M personal distancing adhered to as a fundamental best practice, including in EWP’s. Onsite amenities shall be adequate to facilitate members eating their lunch/smoko whilst maintaining 1.5M personal distancing & 4sqm per person.   If unable to maintain distances then other protective measures that satisfy the work crew should be implemented before proceeding. 
• Daily cleaning and disinfection regimes of all plant, equipment, depots & site amenities.
• Professional infection control cleaning undertaken daily.
• No cross workgroup or Depot interaction where possible.
• Modifying works procedures to ensure interactions are kept to a minimum.
• Customer interactions kept to a minimum. Network owner to contact customers before crews enter property boundaries and ask specific questions to establish any risk posed to crews. No works to be undertaken at that property unless status of inhabitants is known.
• Job sites to be cordoned off and members of the public restricted from entering, above and beyond current practice.
• Daily phone conference with employee reps to ensure all measures are being adhered to and to further build on current measures.
• Interaction with contractors to be kept to a minimum. Contractors to work as one group where possible and those from outside of the geographic depot area should be kept separate from other workgroups.

In the case that any employer does not support our members’ implementation of these measures, and continues to insist on exposing our members to unnecessary risk, we encourage our members to exercise their right to remove themselves from the risk until satisfied that appropriate measures have been implemented.  

Please ensure that daily consultation is maintained with your ETU Shop Steward and HSRs.

Any questions unable to be answered by your employee reps should be referred to your ETU Organiser.

Matt Boyd: 0405 124 953

Justin Sordello: 0409 200 893