COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is having a significant impact on the lives of all Australians. Greater Northern Removals & Storage is committed to doing everything reasonably practicable to continue to provide a high standard of delivery services to our customers, while ensuring the health and wellbeing of all our customers and staff.
Our prevention measures
In order to maintain the health and safety of our customers and staff, Greater Northern Removals & Storage has implemented the following measures:
- We comply with the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth) and all state legislation regulating biosecurity and public health emergencies;
- We have developed and implemented strategies that assist in eliminating or controlling Coronavirus including workplace assessments, identification and remedial actions such as:
- issuing drivers with hand sanitiser;
- minimising unnecessary business travel;
- actioning ‘social distancing’ by conducting meetings and other business group gatherings such as tool box meetings with small numbers and in the manner most likely to reduce the risk of transmission of Coronavirus, such as electronically;
- ensuring that customers and those in control of sites to which our staff must attend are adhering to appropriate strategies and protocols;
- preventing non-essential visitor/s from accessing the workplace;
- keeping up to date with the latest COVID-19 information and advice from the Australian government and state agencies to ensure that any action taken is appropriate;
- Our staff undertaking services will adhere to the 1.5m social distancing policy, while on a third party site;
- We commit to keeping staff and customers informed on the current situation and any changed work arrangements via regular briefings at work and phone and email contacts for further information;
- We have permitted administrative staff to work from home where practical as a method of social distancing;
- We have provided soap, alcohol-based hand sanitiser, paper tissues, closed bins for hygienic disposal of used products and other products in prominent locations to promote good hygiene; and
- We will provide support to staff who are affected by Coronavirus, such as those who are required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Contact with Customers and members of the public
Before undertaking a removal, customers will be given the COVID-19 Declaration Form. This form must be completed and returned to Greater Northern Removals & Storage in order to ensure the safety of all staff that will come into contact with the customer and their goods.
Similarly, drivers and offsiders that has contact with customers are required to complete an employee declaration the day before being required to undertake removal duties.
If a customer has indicated on the Declaration Form that they have recently returned from overseas, have tested positive for COVID-19, are in self-isolation and/or have come into contact with someone who has tested positive to COVID-19, Greater Northern Removals & Storage reserve the right to cancel or postpone the removal.
Interstate movements
Transport and logistics are currently considered an essential service and is exempt from cross border quarantine requirements however, movements are subject to certain requirements/protocols in each state.
No staff or vehicles are permitted to cross state borders without the applicable documentation being completed prior to departure. Any documentation that is required must be provided prior to departure from depot. This may include various permits and passes based on state requirements.
Management are to maintain information channels to ensure ongoing compliance with those requirements.
Some of these current information sources are:
- The Australian Furniture Removers Association
- The Australian Trucking Association www.truck.net.au
Greater Northern Removals uses containers and the rail network to move you from state to state.
This means that instead of our trucks trying to get through border closures, our team will pack your house and load it all into a container which is then sealed and sent via rail to its destination. There it is met by a local team who will collect and deliver your belongings to your new home.
Removing the need for our teams to travel interstate, along with our commitment to adhering to the strict guidelines set by AFRA, ensures that from a COVID prevention aspect, your next move will be safe as houses.
