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COVID-19 COVIDSafe Plan

A COVID-19 COVIDsafe plan developed for Get Wet Co Pty Ltd (trading as Get Wet Surf School).
01 May, 2020
Kerri Jekyll

COVIDSafe Business - Get Wet Surf

COVID19 Restrictions from December 17 th , 2021

Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who has supported us from March 2020 till now. We have said it a million times – it was certainly unprecedented times but thanks to the support from everyone, we have managed to come through it all and are ready to welcome our interstate and international travelers back soon!

As of December 17th, 2021, in line with the restrictions as outlined by the Queensland Government, Get Wet will require all patrons, staff and visitors to be checked-in, be fully vaccinated against COVID19, and also to show proof of vaccination to one of our staff to enter the premises and participate in any of our activities. If you cannot show proof of vaccination, you will not be allowed to enter or participate in any of our surfing sessions. If you have booked a surfing session with us and are not fully vaccinated, you must contact us at surf@getwetsurf.com minimum 24 hours before to
receive a full refund. Any cancellations within 24 hours, as per our cancellation policy, will not be refunded.

We understand that this may be disappointing for some, but any negative attitudes, abuse or mistreatment of staff at Get Wet will not be tolerated. These restrictions are mandated by the Queensland Government and to operate, Get Wet must follow them. Please feel free to get in touch with us via surf@getwetsurf.com if you have any questions.

 

About COVID19

Coronavirus, commonly referred to as COVID19, is a highly infectious virus that can cause serious respiratory issues, damage, or even death. The current COVID19 situation has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Symptoms of coronavirus

  • Shortness of breath
  • Fever
  • Loss of senses of taste and smell
  • Dry coughing
  • Chest pains
  • Headaches

Measures for preventing coronavirus

  • Social distancing – maintaining a 1.5m distance from other people
  • Regular hand washing or sanitation
  • Increasing disinfection and cleaning procedures for office areas, shared equipment, courtesy buses and other items

Employee regulations on COVID19

Due to the nature of the coronavirus being highly contagious and infectious, employees of Get Wet Co Pty Ltd are required to comply and follow the following procedures and regulations.

Regulations to follow for current and future Get Wet Co Pty Ltd employees

  1. They have not returned from overseas or an interstate hot spot within the last 14 days. If the answer is yes, the employee is required not only by Australian law but also by Get Wet to quarantine for 14 days before being allowed to work.
  2. They have not been in contact with someone presenting symptoms of COVID19 or someone who has a confirmed case of COVID19. If they employee has, the employee is required not only by Australian law but also by Get Wet to quarantine for 14 days before being allowed to work.
  3. They themselves do not have any symptoms of COVID19 or have a confirmed case of COVID19.
    1. If the employee has symptoms of the coronavirus, they are highly recommended to seek out getting tested clarify the results of the symptoms or self-isolate for 14 days.
    2. If the employee has a confirmed case of coronavirus, the employee is required not only by Australian law but also by Get Wet to quarantine for 14 days and be cleared of COVID19 before being allowed to work again.
  4. If the employee is a new employee or has not worked for an elongated period of time, they must give details to Get Wet Management of where they have last worked/been to ensure mitigation of COVID19spread.
  5. If an employee presents symptoms of COVID19 prior to commencing a shift at Get Wet, they are to contact Get Wet Management immediately to state this and are not permitted to come into work. They will be recommended by Get Wet Management to seek out medical advice immediately.
  6. Employees of Get Wet Co Pty Ltd are to follow each regulation to the best of their ability before, during and after shifts. Failure to comply to these regulations may not only lead to possible consequences or termination of their employment, but also serious health risks for themselves and others.

Customer regulations on COVID19

Due to the nature of the coronavirus being highly contagious and infectious, customers and visitors of Get Wet Co Pty Ltd are required to comply and follow the following procedures and regulations.

Regulations to follow for customers and visitors of Get Wet Co Pty Ltd

  1. They have not returned from overseas or an interstate hot spot within the last 14 days. If the answer is yes, the customer/visitor is required by Australian law to quarantine for 14 days and will not be allowed to come for a surfing session even if they have booked and payed for it.
  2. They have not been in contact with someone presenting symptoms of COVID19 or someone who has a confirmed case of COVID19. If the answer is yes, the customer/visitor is required by Australian law to quarantine for 14 days and will not be allowed to come for a surfing session even if they have booked and payed for it.
  3. They themselves do not have any symptoms of COVID19 or have a confirmed case of COVID19.
    1. If the customer/visitor has symptoms of the coronavirus, they are highly recommended by Get Wet Co Pty Ltd and the Australian Government to seek out getting tested clarify the results of the symptoms or self-isolate for 14 days. They will not be permitted to come for a surfing session even if they have booked and payed for it.
    2. If the customer/visitor has a confirmed case of coronavirus, they are required by Australian law to quarantine for 14 days and will not be allowed to come for a surfing session even if they have booked and payed for it.
  4. The customer/visitor must agree to follow each of the regulations for doing a surf session with Get Wet Co Pty Ltd to the best of their ability. Failure to comply to these regulations may lead to serious health risks for themselves and others and the refusal of service from Get Wet Co Pty Ltd employees.

Session booking procedures

The COVID19 pandemic has impacted the way Get Wet Co Pty Ltd conducts its surf sessions, including the booking procedures for the customers. The following amendments have been made to the booking procedures for Get Wet Co Pty Ltd customers

  1. Upon looking at the Get Wet website, there is a notice stating that Get Wet is a registered COVID Clean Practicing Business (accredited by Quality Tourism Australia) and that there is an option to reschedule your lesson
  2. Once the session is booked, the confirmation email has information about COVID19 and the rescheduling practices Get Wet Co Pty Ltd is putting in place for COVID19.
  3. The confirmation email also contains a waiver form for COVID19 which ensures people are following the correct protocols and that they agree to the regulations and procedures enforced by Get Wet employees.
    1. If the participant books for a session more than 14 days in advance, all customers are sent a reminder email with the same waiver form as to ensure safety of all customers and employees.

Social distancing

Social distancing has been highlighted as one of the key behaviours to minimise the contraction and spread of COVID19 by medical professionals. Social distancing is staying at least 1.5m away from a person near you. Social distancing is recommended as it minimises the amount of people someone comes into close contact with, which is how Coronavirus spreads.

Social distancing enforcements within the workplace at Get Wet Co Pty Ltd

  1. All employees of Get Wet Co Pty Ltd understand and agree to enforce social distancing between employees, customers, visitors and other members of the public at all times.
    1. Failure to do so could lead to serious health consequences such as contracting COVID19.
    2. Failure to do so on multiple occasions will lead to an investigation and meeting with the Managing Director to discuss employment.
  2. All customers and visitors of Get Wet Co Pty Ltd understand and agree to enforce social distancing between employees, customers, visitors and other members of the public at all times.
    1. Failure to do so could lead to serious health consequences such as contracting COVID19.
    2. Failure to adhere to social distancing could lead to Get Wet employees asking the customer to leave, with no refund possible, as they are endangering themselves, employees and others.
  3. Social distancing and COVID19 posters have been placed in several locations in the workplace, including (but not limited to) staff areas, check in areas and waiting areas.
  4. Seated areas (such as office desks and waiting areas) have been moved to reflect social distancing guidelines so that procedures can be adhered to.

Supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene products

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is defined by Safe Work Australia as anything worn or used to minimise risk to an employee’s safety and health. Due to the nature of Get Wet’s line of work and commonly being in water, PPE such as masks and gloves are not appropriate since their protective qualities are diminished by water.

Get Wet Co Pty Ltd will supply gloves and disposable face masks for cleaning purposes in the office space. These will be supplied to protect employees from potential COVID19 virus strains, other viruses or illnesses and the harsh chemicals used in the disinfectant and cleaning regimes.

Hygiene products

Get Wet Co Pty Ltd will be supplying staff with hygiene products to minimise the risk of COVID19. These products include but are not limited to:

  • Disinfectant spray
  • Bleaching liquid
  • Soap
  • Hand Sanitiser

These products will be provided for cleaning before, during and after lessons, shifts, or any sort of activity in the Get Wet office spaces. Get Wet employees agree that they will use these hygiene products correctly and according to the labels and directions.

Cleaning

Maintaining a clean and safe environment for Get Wet Co Pty Ltd staff, customers and visitors is key to mitigating risk of COVID19 contraction and spread throughout the workplace. The following procedures have been put in place:

Customer shared equipment cleaning (surf boards, rash shirts, wet suits, etc.)

  1. Surf boards will be hosed down, dried and sprayed with a disinfectant between every use.
    1. Surf boards will be rotated to ensure drying of disinfectant spray.
    2. All surf boards will be washed once a week on a quiet day, whether they have been used or not.
  2. Wet suits will be washed in an antibacterial/disinfectant solution with warm water and left to dry between uses.
    1. Wet suits will be rotated to ensure drying and proper cleaning between uses.
    2. Staff have been advised that they must not provide a wet or unclean wetsuit to any customers of Get Wet.
    3. Staff have been advised to ensure they bring their own wetsuit to work when it is appropriate.
  3. Rash shirts (including staff rash shirts) will be washed in an antibacterial/disinfectant solution with warm water and left to dry between uses.
    1. Rash shirts will be rotated to ensure drying and proper cleaning between uses.
    2. Staff have been advised that they must not provide a wet or unclean rash shirt to any customers of Get Wet
  4. Other shared items (storage bins, complimentary sunscreen, chairs, etc.) will be wiped down after use and/or once a day.

Employee area cleaning

  1. The shared office desk spaces will be sanitised after every shift.
    1. Staff are encouraged to bring their own laptop/device to work where possible to minimise shared surfaces
  2. Disinfectant will be sprayed on shared surfaces such as chairs at the end of every shift or between usage.

Courtesy bus cleaning

  1. The steering wheel, gear stick, hand brake and front dash will be wiped down with disinfectant wipes or paper towel and disinfectant spray before and after use by staff.
  2. All seats will be sprayed with disinfectant spray before and after every use of the vehicle.
  3. All handles (door handles, grip handles, etc.) will be wiped down with disinfectant wipes or paper towel and disinfectant spray before and after every use of vehicle.
  4. Seat belt buckles and plugs will be wiped down with disinfectant wipes or paper towel and disinfectant spray before and after every use of vehicle.

Courtesy bus seating arrangements

A courtesy bus is sometimes used when guests require pick up and drop off from select Surfers Paradise or Main Beach locations. Due to COVID19 situation, the current procedures have been put in place:

  1. Disinfectant cleaning prior to use of the vehicle, as outlined in ‘Cleaning – Courtesy bus cleaning’.
  2. Ensuring a limited capacity number in the bus, the regular capacity is 8 (7 passengers and 1 driver)
    1. If the pick-ups are all independent travellers, the capacity of the vehicle is reduced to 5 (4 passengers and 1 driver). One person (the driver) is to sit in the front, and the 4 passengers will sit in the rows behind, one seat apart from each other.
    2. If the pick-ups are a family/travelling together, the capacity of the vehicle is reduced to 7 in total (6 passengers – travelling together – and 1 driver). One person (the driver) is to sit in the front, and the 6 passengers will sit in the rows behind. As they are travelling together, there is no need for the passengers to socially distance from one another; they will only need to socially distance themselves from the driver.
    3. If the pick-ups are a mix of independent travellers and people travelling together, arrangements will be made by the Get Wet staff. If social distancing cannot occur with all passengers, Get Wet will only permit the correct number of people onto the courtesy bus and advise the remaining customers needing pick-ups to make an alternative arrangement to get to Get Wet.

Identification, monitoring and management of people that are unwell

To ensure no community transmission of coronavirus or to stop community transmission when it occurs, Queensland Health has advised that business should collect customer/visitor data when they enter the premises.

Identification

To manage the risk of the coronavirus spread, Get Wet and its employees will enforce the following for identification:

  1. Ensuring no staff – under any circumstances – come into the office/work areas of Get Wet if they are feeling unwell.
    1. They will be advised to receive medical advice and report back to the Get Wet Management about their advice.
    2. Failure to do so could lead to serious health consequences such as contracting COVID19 or spreading COVID19
    3. Failure to do so on multiple occasions will lead to an investigation and meeting with the Managing Director to discuss employment.
  2. Ensuring no customers or visitors – under any circumstances – come into the Get Wet premises if they are feeling unwell
    1. Customers are required to fill out medical forms upon booking and they agree that they will fill them out truthfully
    2. Customers and visitors are asked upon arrival question such as ‘have you had any symptoms of COVID19?’, ‘have you travelled interstate in the last 14 days?’ and ‘are you meant to be in self-isolation or in quarantine?’
    3. Failure to do so could lead to serious health consequences such as contracting COVID19.
    4. Failure to adhere to any of these protocols could lead to Get Wet employees asking the customer to leave, with no refund possible, as they are endangering themselves, employees and others.

Monitoring

Get Wet will follow the following procedures to monitor COVID19 spreading, outbreaks and infections:

  1. Keeping a record of all guests doing surf lessons, including last minute bookings
    1. They must at least provide their name, best contact number and email address for contact
  2. Keeping track of what employees work when, where and who with
    1. They must log in and out of shifts correctly via the rostering app
  3. If either an employee, customer or visitor suddenly became unwell with cold/flu like symptoms during a lesson/shift, they are to be immediately sent home

Management

In the unlikely event that an employee, customer, or visitor was to have a confirmed case of COVID19, Get Wet would take the following actions:

  1. Immediately cease work/lesson and send everyone (employees, visitors, customers, etc.) home.
  2. If the COVID19 case is an employee of Get Wet:
    1. All employees are to go into self-isolation and get tested for COVID19.
    2. All customers/visitors who have been at Get Wet in the previous two weeks to the diagnosis must be contacted about this; self-isolation and testing will be highly recommended by Get Wet Management.
  3. If the COVID19 case is a visitor/customer of Get Wet:
    1. All employees are to go into self-isolation and get tested for COVID19.
    2. All customers/visitors who have been at Get Wet in the previous two weeks to the diagnosis must be contacted about this; self-isolation and testing will be highly recommended by Get Wet Management.
  4. A deep clean of the Get Wet office/workplace and all equipment will be conducted prior to reopening.

Risk Management of COVID19

Risk management of COVID19 is outlined in the document ‘COVID19 Risk Register’ as provided by Get Wet Surf School.

Verification, review and evaluation of COVIDSafe Plan

This document has been verified and reviewed by the Managing Director of Get Wet Co Pty Ltd, Kerri Jekyll, and approved.

Evaluation of this document will be done accordingly when it is deemed necessary. This includes but is not limited to changing of restrictions or changing of operation procedures. Get Wet Surf School has been accredited with the Quality Tourism Australia COVIDSafe framework.

Download Get Wet Surf School’s COVIDSafe Plan

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Author

Kerri Jekyll

Kerri Jekyll

Kerri is the Owner and General Manager of Get Wet Surf on the Gold Coast. She has been running Get Wet Surf for 15 years and there isn't much about surfing she doesn't know!

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