Source: ABCnews
Workers at the Woolworths distribution centre in Wodonga need to give themselves a bit of extra time when they show up for their shifts.
Before being allowed to enter, they must take a rapid antigen COVID-19 test then wait about 15 minutes for a negative result before heading in to start their shifts.
Rapid antigen testing trials are underway in Victoria at places including the Royal Melbourne Hospital and on a level-crossing removal project. And the Victorian government has announced the tests will be rolled out across the healthcare system, followed by other high-risk settings like schools, childcare and corrections facilities.
But some companies have taken matters into their own hands.
Woolworths introduced pre-shift rapid tests for its Sydney distribution centres in August and, after early success, recently expanded them to distribution centres across NSW and Victoria, including Wodonga.
SDA — the union for workers in retail, fast food and warehousing — is supportive of the move.
Lead Warehousing and Distribution Organiser Peter McNeill said it’s also being done by other major supermarkets like Coles and Aldi.
“We wish that all warehouses would take on the rapid antigen testing,” he said.
“We know from experience with what Woolworths is doing, they’ve actually picked up a number of (COVID-positive) people before they’ve gone into the warehouse.
“They’ve made it a healthy and safe environment for our members, so that’s great.”
In the middle of this year, Woolworths was struggling to keep shelves stocked, with more than 500 supply chain team members isolating as close and casual contacts. But they haven’t had a major COVID-19 exposure since 27 August.
And now they’ve gone one step further.
Special COVID-safe wristbands have been brought in at some distribution centres, including the Wodonga site. The wristbands emit a bluetooth signal to identify and record other wristbands within 1.5 metre, along with the time and duration of that contact.
That way, if there is a COVID-19 case detected, they know exactly who is at risk. This will reduce the number of workers forced to isolate.
“Proactive measures like [these] are proving effective and helping keep our team members, and their families, as safe as possible,” said Woolworths Group COVID Response Lead, Ross Spencer.
“Importantly, they’re also helping us get product supply back on track, with a full workforce in our distribution centres ramping up deliveries to our stores.”
SDA was fully briefed on how the wristbands work, ensuring they only monitor employees while on-site, and don’t pose privacy concerns.
“The vast majority [of workers] are really happy about it, but of course you always get a minority group that think people are tracking them outside of work, which doesn’t happen at all,” Mr McNeill said.
“We want all our warehouse members to be safe. So we endorse it and encourage it.”
Mr McNeill is keen to see other warehouses and distribution centres follow suit, but thinks the cost of the tests and the tech would be out of reach for many smaller companies.
He hopes the government will offer assistance to these workplaces like they have in healthcare settings, saying the essential nature of their members’ work should be acknowledged.
“They’re essential workers and they know that they’re essential workers, because they turn up every day to go to work.”Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
