Date Prepared: August 2022
d@rt CovidSafe Policy
Context
This COVIDSafe policy is directed to its Users, Transport Service Providers and self-employed drivers, ensuring that the risks of the spread of Covid-19 are mitigated so far as is reasonably practicable.
The COVIDSafe controls are explained in this document.
The agreements between Users, Transport Service Providers, self-employed drivers and d@rt Pty Ltd (the d@rt Agreements) provide that they comply with the law, which includes Orders issued by the Chief Health Officer and others (the Orders) relating to the Covid-19 pandemic including Orders to have a COVIDSafe policy where required.
To that extent, Transport Service Providers and self-employed drivers must ensure that their COVIDSafe Plans are developed using a risk based approach and cover all the items specified by the Orders, and additionally, must ensure that their Plans include relevant and practical items from the CPVV Sample Template found at the following link: https://cpv.vic.gov.au/drivers/coronavirus-covid-19/sample-covidsafe-plan-for-the-cpv-industry
Users, Transport Providers and self-employed drivers must also comply with any d@rt Pty Ltd (d@rt) policy or requirements published on the d@rt website including the following requirements as they apply to them, when providing d@rt Services. Users are responsible for ensuring that their passengers comply with the requirements of laws including this policy as they apply to them, and Transport Service Providers are responsible for ensuring that their drivers comply with the requirements of laws including this policy as they apply to them.
If Users, Transport Service Providers and self-employed drivers fail to comply with the law or policies and requirements specified on the d@rt website, their d@rt Agreements may be terminated, or the provision of the d@rt Services to them cancelled, in accordance with the d@rt Agreements.
Where the requirements of this policy are inconsistent with any other laws Users, Transport Service Providers or self-employed drivers are obliged to follow, including those in respect of the Covid-19 pandemic, then they are not obliged to follow this policy to the extent of the inconsistency.
OHS obligations and the Pandemic Orders
There is no change to your obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) as a result of the Orders.
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act), a range of duty holders have health and safety obligations that apply to taking steps to prevent exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19). For example, you have obligations if you are a:
- Transport Service Provider
- Driver employed by a Transport Service Provider
- Self-employed driver
These obligations include:
- Employers have a duty to provide and maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risks to the health of employees, including independent contractors.
- Employees have a duty to take reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety in the workplace and cooperate with their employers about any action they take to comply with the OHS Act or Regulations.
- Employers and self-employed people have a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that people are not exposed to risks to their health and safety arising from how they conduct their business undertaking.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – background
Coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause mild to severe respiratory illness. The most common coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms reported are:
- fever
- chills or sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- runny nose
- loss of sense of smell or taste
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is most likely to spread from person-to-person through:
- close contact with a person who has coronavirus (COVID-19)
- touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles) contaminated by a person with the virus
Because drivers in the rideshare industry work in a small, enclosed space, keeping a 1.5 metre distance from passengers is often not possible. Contact with frequently touched, and potentially contaminated, surfaces such as door handles or bags, may also increase their risk of coronavirus (COVID-19).
In addition to following the Orders, like Users and Drivers using face masks when providing d@rt Services, extra precautions such as Transport Service Providers screening their drivers, practising good hand hygiene and regularly cleaning frequently touched surfaces are recommended.
‘Drivers’, when used below, means drivers employed by a Transport Service Provider and self-employed drivers.
COVID-19 Vaccination
Drivers must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Getting tested and attendance at work
Drivers who are feeling unwell must follow the advice of DOH, including not working, and getting tested:
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/getting-tested
Pre-condition for CovidSafe travel
Before requesting a ride or going online, Users and Drivers must take specific safety steps such as wearing a face mask, washing their hands or sanitising their vehicle, be prepared to sit in the back seat where possible, and must not be experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
Practising good hygiene
- Here are some tips for Drivers practicing good hygiene:Clean your vehicle with approved disinfectant:See more below.
- Wash your hands often: Whenever you can, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, and use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser between washing.
- Offer approved hand sanitiser to your Users: You are required to keep hand sanitiser available for Users to use.
Here are some tips for Drivers and Users practising good hygiene:
- Cover your mouth and nose. If you sneeze or cough, look to do so into your elbow or a tissue.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Don’t shake hands.
- Drivers – Don’t have air conditioning on recirculate – set it to external airflow or open windows instead.
Approved hand sanitiser, approved disinfectant are explained here:
- Approved hand sanitiser means a solution containing at least 60% alcohol (ethanol or isopropyl alcohol).
- Approved disinfectant means a disinfectant with viricidal claims against COVID-19 (meaning it is effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus). To be sure, check that the product you’re using is included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods list here: https://www.tga.gov.au/ disinfectants-use-against-covid-19-artg-legal-supplyaustralia
Cleaning vehicles
All Drivers using the d@rt App are required to:
- Clean, with approved disinfectant, all surfaces passengers are likely to touch before every trip, including passenger high-touch surfaces.
- clean all surfaces a driver is likely to touch, including driver high-touch surfaces:
- if more than one driver uses the CPV – before a driver passes the vehicle to the next driver, or
- if you are the only driver of the vehicle – at least once per day.
- clean all high-touch surfaces:
- at the beginning of a Driver’s shift, and
- if the CPV is used for private purposes in between trips – before a Driver’s next trip
Make sure to wear gloves and face masks when cleaning, and safely discard any used cleaning products, disposable gloves or masks immediately after use or put in a plastic bag for washing at the end of the day.
Passenger and Driver high-touch surfaces are explained here:
https://cpv.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/700107/ST048-COVID-19-Transmission-in-CPV-Industry-Guide-Digital-Version-V2.pdf
The following provides information about how clean your vehicles:
https://cpv.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/475418/Reduce-the-risk-how-to-clean-CPVs.pdf
Requirement for Drivers to submit CPVV Cleaning Records
d@rt requires Drivers to record cleaning activities. To help us achieve this, we ask Transport Service Providers (for their drivers) and self-employed drivers to keep a record of cleaning activities, and to submit this to d@rt on a weekly basis.
Your CPVV Cleaning Record must include:
- Your name
- Vehicle registration number
- Date and time of each clean
We require that you print a copy of D@rt’s Cleaning Record template [attached to email accompanying this document.]
How to submit your CPVV Cleaning Record
Take a photo of your Cleaning Record with your phone. Then email the file to admin@dart.org.au, ensuring that you include your TSP/self-employed driver d@rt number in the email subject line or in the first text line of the email.
Physical distancing
Users and Drivers will, as far as practicable, provide for physical distancing on trips, including:
- Drivers will request Users to sit in the backseat where possible.
- Users will sit in the backseat where possible.
- Users are required to pay via card or phone (i.e., all trips are cashless).
Drivers should where possible ask Users to handle their own luggage where possible – passengers and drivers should use approved hand sanitiser before and after handling luggage
Wearing a face mask All Users and Drivers are required to wear a properly fitted face mask when and as directed by the DOH Pandemic Orders, unless a legal exemption applies.
The fitted face mask must cover the nose and mouth. This means face shields, bandanas or scarves on their own are not considered sufficient face covering.
A face mask is not required to be worn in some circumstances and when a lawful exemption exists, see more information on this at Department of Health website.
If stopped by police or a CPVV Authorised Officer in a setting where face masks are mandatory, a person may be asked to confirm the lawful reason for not wearing a face mask.
CPV drivers travelling in a vehicle by themselves do not have to wear a mask.
Supporting workers and preparing your response to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case
Communicating with employee drivers and Users
Transport Service Providers and self-employed drivers must display appropriate signage in vehicles for Users on actions they can take to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). CPVV has signage and posters for this purpose.
- Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Videos, posters and other resources
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/signs-posters-and-templates
Whilst d@rt will educate all drivers on this policy, Transport Service Providers must provide training to their drivers, and self-employed drivers should educate themselves, on the correct use of face coverings and PPE, and on good hygiene practices and slowing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), undertaken in accordance with the Orders in force at the time.
- Transport Service Providers and Drivers must inform Users to use hand sanitiser upon entry to the vehicle and to sit in the backseat to help reduce the risk of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Communicating with employees
Transport Service Providers must:
- provide updated information to all employees in a format that they can readily understand (for example in their own language) and in multiple formats (such as email, posters, verbal), including to employees on leave, contractors and casual workers;
- ensure there are contingency plans in place to replace unwell employee drivers when necessary.
If a Driver develops symptoms
A self-employed driver must, and a Transport Service Provider must ensure its drivers, if they develop any of the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild:
- stop providing services and get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) immediately, and self-isolate while they await their results
- if they are employed by a TSP, inform their employer as soon as possible, follow the procedures their workplace has in place, and update their employer if their situation changes (for example, if they receive a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test result).
Suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case
In the event of a suspected or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) case at the workplace, the Pandemic Orders, importantly the Workplace Order, impose requirements on both employers and workers. TSPs and Drivers must comply with these requirements, and also notify d@rt of any such cases.
- Pandemic Orders, including the Workplace Order
https://www.health.vic.gov.au/covid-19/pandemic-order-register
- Department of Health and Human Services: What should I do if I’m notified that an employee has symptoms of coronavirus?
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/confirmed-case-workplace
Working with public health authorities
We will work with public health authorities to support them in their response to the pandemic. As a result, we may temporarily suspend the accounts of Users, Transport Service Providers or Drivers if confirmed to have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19.
All trips are GPS-tracked so we’re able to assist public health authorities with contact tracing by providing names, contact numbers and email addresses for anyone who might have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19.
Users, Transport Service Providers and self-employed drivers must provide d@rt with any and all reasonable assistance upon request.
Users, Transport Service Providers and self-employed drivers must stay home if they are feeling sick.
Further information and contact
- Exposure to coronavirus in workplaces
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safety-alerts/exposure-coronavirus-workplaces
- DOH: About coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/symptoms-and-risks
- Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://cpv.vic.gov.au/drivers/coronavirus-covid-19
Please contact d@rt through admin@dart.org.au if you have any queries about this Policy.