COVID-19: Alcohol-based Sanitiser introduced at Coles
Over the past few weeks, the SDA has been working hard with Coles to ensure workers are working in a healthy and safe environment at all times.
One of these measures the SDA was calling for was providing hand sanitiser approved by the Department of Health.
Following meetings with Coles, the Federal Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Health, Coles will now be providing an alcohol-based hand sanitiser to staff.
This is positive news for SDA member at Coles who can be reassured about the effectiveness of the hand sanitiser supplied by Coles.
Coles are now working on the supply for specific alcohol-based hand sanitiser to be provided to stores as soon as possible over coming weeks as they work to secure consistent supply.
Remember, hand sanitiser is only one of several things designed to protect your health. You should also be following recent safety measures put in place by Coles and general health advice including:
Regular hand washing – once every hour
No face touching
Regular cleaning of checkouts / workstations
The SDA’s 10 Point Health and Safety Plan
The SDA continues to call on Coles and other retailers to:
Go ‘cash free’ and accept card payments only.
Install plexiglass screens at cash registers to protect workers who cannot keep at least 1.5 metres from customers.
Ensure social distancing measures are in place and are enforced, including signage, floor markings, register use and customer volumes.
Ensure hand sanitizer approved by the Health Department is readily available to all staff (current standards require at least 60% alcohol).
Provide workers with gloves and personal face shields where requested.
Provide bags free of charge for each purchase to avoid handling of customer bags. No use of customers’ used bags unless the customer bags it themselves.
Continue to increase security to assist in enforcing social distancing, customer volumes, purchase limits, access limits and in dealing with unreasonable customers. Police resources may also need to be deployed to protect workers.
Ensure regular cleaning and sanitization of workstations and personal protective equipment.
Take a zero-tolerance approach to customer violence and abuse.
Publicly promote the SDA’s No One Deserve A Serve campaign to improve customer behaviour.
