The scope covers all essential visitors to our Morton Mains ‘site’.
This protocol has been created to comply with the MIA/MPI’s ‘Protocols to Manage Risk of COVID-19 for Continuation of Meat Processing – Alert Level 4,’ and relevant guidance and requirements from the Ministry of Health and Worksafe.
Guidance and requirements from the Ministry of Health, MPI and Worksafe continue to be updated as the science develops. The contents of this document may therefore be varied from time-to-time to reflect such changes.
1.0 RESTRICTED ACCESS TO SITE
All non-essential visitors must not enter our site. This is a precautionary measure for the safety of our visitors and our employees.
- Large ‘Restricted Site Access’ signs are positioned at the entrance to our site.
- All stakeholders have been informed of our site-access requirements and protocols via email.
If you are unsure whether you are an essential visitor or unsure about your health status please call reception before entering our site: Morton Mains site: +64 3 231 3421
Non-essential visitors include but are not limited:
- Customers.
- Farmer-suppliers (without priorpermission to enter).
- Other suppliers and salespeople.
- Shareholders.
- Contractors (without prior permission to enter).
- Consultants and other specialists (without prior permission to enter).
- Job applicants.
- Family and friends of employees.
- Neighbours.
- Media.
- All other visitors who can conduct their interactions with us via phone, email or teleconference.
2.0 CONTACT TRACING
Every entry to and exit from our site is controlled for the purposes of accurate contract tracing – this applies to all essential visitors.
Before entering our site, you will be required to stop at the gate access point:
- ‘Sign in’: Your entry time, name and contact details, and vehicle details (where applicable) will be taken via manual input.
- Complete a health status declaration (‘Health Checklist’) based on guidance from the Ministry of Health
- this may include contactless temperature checking. You must declare if you have or any symptoms of COVID-19. The Ministry of Health includes the following symptoms as consistent with possible COVID-19 infection:
- A cough.
- A high temperature (at least 38°C).
- Shortness of breath.
- Sore throat.
- Sneezing and runny nose.
- Temporary loss of smell.
- You must declare if you have COVID-19, are awaiting test results for COVID-19, have had contact or potential contact with a with any person who has been confirmed as having COVID-19.
If you do not pass the Health Checklist (displaying any symptoms consistent with COVID-19) or declare that you have COVID-19, or are awaiting test results for COVID-19, or have had contact or potential contact with a with any person who has been confirmed as having COVID-19, your will be denied access and requested to leave.
While on site you must follow these precautionary measures and behaviours:
- Avoid non-essential interactions with all employees and other essential visitors.
- Maintain at least 1M physical distance from others.
- If a task cannot be completed safely whilst maintaining at least 1M physical distance from others:
- A risk assessment must be completed and signed off by our HSE (Health & Safety and Environment) Manager (Paulus Smith).
- PPE (mask or full-face visor) and gloves must be used.
- Follow all Ministry of Health guidelines related to personal hygiene (see below).
- Record all employees and other essential visitors that you have close contact with during your visit.
- If you need to enter one of our offices, work areas or amenities areas, please wash your hands thoroughly using one of the hand sanitiser stations before and after interacting with employees and other essential visitors.
Before exiting our site, you will be required to stop at the gate access point:
- ‘Sign out’: Your exit time, name and contact details, and vehicle details (where applicable) will be taken via manual input.
3.0 PERSONAL HYGIENE
While on site, you must practice increased personal hygiene at all times.
- Wash hands with soap and water (or sanitiser) for 20 seconds regularly. Hand washing must occur:
- After blowing nose, coughing or sneezing
- After visiting any amenities area.
- When entering and exiting work areas
- After touching surfaces used by others
- After using the toilet
- Before and after eating
- After handling rubbish
- When hands are visibly dirty
- Other personal hygiene practices include:
- Avoid touching your face (eyes, nose and/or mouth).
- When coughing or sneezing, cover your face with a tissue or use the crook of your elbow.
- People who are coughing or sneezing will be assessed (this may include contactless temperature checking) and may be asked to leave the site if necessary.
4.0 PHYSICAL DISTANCING
You must maintain at least 1M physical distance from others in our workplace.
- When 1M physical distance from others cannot be maintained, a risk assessment will be completed and signed off by our HSE Manager (see below).
- You can occasionally pass by each other within 1M. But you must minimise time (less than 15 minutes) and avoid face-to-face contact (including lingering and conversations).
- You can occasionally go closer than 1M in areas such as toilets. But you must minimise time (less than 15 minutes) and avoid face-to-face contact (including lingering and conversations).
In areas where large numbers of people typically congregate (mainly smoko rooms and other amenities areas) physical distancing of at least 1M from others must be adhered to.
In the event of a fire or ammonia alarm, physical distancing of at least 1M from others must be adhered to in the muster-areas.
- You should not congregate or linger in groups during this time.
5.0 PPE
We recommend you wear masks and gloves at all times, except in the smoko room while eating.
- Supplies of masks, gloves and sanitiser will be maintained in all smoko rooms.
IMPORTANT: Incorrect use of masks (and full-face visors) may increase your health risks. It is important toreplace disposal masks every 2-3 hours or whenever they become wet or dirty, and to keep full-face visors cleaned and sanitised regularly (at every rest and meal break).
- You may request a copy of protocols for handling clothes and PPE (including masks and visors).
When 1M physical distance from others cannot be maintained, a risk assessment will be completed and signed off by our HSE Manager; and documented for how risks will be managed and controlled.
- IMPORTANT: In all such situations the use of a mask or a full-face visor, and gloves will be mandatory.
6.0 RESTRICTED MOVEMENT
You must limit your movement on site only to those areas of the site directedly related to the purpose of your visit. You must limit (or eliminate wherever possible) interaction with all work-teams not directly related to the purpose of your visit.
- Essential visitors must comply with all other restricted movement and work-team requirements of the Safety Plan and follow the directions/instructions of those employees they are visiting. You may request a copy of our full Safety Plan.
7.0 AT RISK GROUPS
‘At risk’ people are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill if affected by COVID-19. The Ministry of Health recommendations state that the key determinant of COVID-19 becoming a severe illness is the existence of underlying medical conditions, especially if these conditions are not well controlled. Relevant conditions listed by the Ministry of Health are as follows:
- Chronic lung disease such as cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive respiratory disease and emphysema, severe asthma that needs multiple medications and medical care.
- Serious heart conditions such as congestive heart failure hypertension that isn’t well controlled.
- Immunocompromised conditions.
- Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including chemotherapy or radiotherapy , bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies including HIV infection, immunity weakening medications such as high-dose corticosteroids and disease-modifying anti- rheumatic drugs that treat inflammatory forms of arthritis.
- Severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher).
- Diabetes that isn’t well controlled.
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Liver disease.
- People with a history of smoking.
- Pregnant women in their third trimester should take extra precautions and keep themselves well at a time when the growing baby means higher oxygen demands on the mother.
At this stage we cannot accept ‘At Risk’ essential visitorson site. Please do not enter.
8.0 SOURCES OF SUPPORT
Please see below key sources of support:
- If you have any health concerns about COVID-19 we encourage you to call Healthline (Free): 0800 358 5453.
- If you have other concerns (including mental wellbeing concerns), please call the free and confidential counselling service Employee Assistance Program (Free): 0800 327 669.
- If you have any concerns about Income Support we encourage you to call Work and Income (Free): 0800 779 997.
9.0 KEY CONTACTS
The following Senior Managers are primarily responsible for our Safety Plan: