Specialist contractors coming to island face strict working rules
WHEN skills are needed that can only be found off-island, specialist contractors must adhere to strict risk-mitigation conditions to limit any spread of Covid-19 in the Bailiwick.
Under pre-existing regulations set by the Civil Contingencies Authority to protect the community from infection by the virus, technical specialist contractors can come to the island under a ‘critical worker exemption’ if they provide a service or set of skills that cannot feasibly be secured on-island and have health insurance which covers Covid-19-related matters. Any worker who is not a Bailiwick resident can only travel between their workplace and the specified place where they are staying and must self-isolate when they are not at work.
When working on site, the area must be isolated using fencing and barriers, with a separate vehicle entrance for the worker.
All elements of work must be outside and at a distance of 10 metres from all other people at all times.
Dedicated toilet and hand-washing facilities must be available for each of the work areas for the ‘critical workers’ only.
Workers on a single project must stay in one hotel or set of self-catering units and food can be supplied via the hotel only as cooked meals or groceries delivered to the door of the self-catering unit.
Cooked food must be supplied on a ‘closed tray’ system and used plates must be collected at a pre-arranged time.
Towels and bedding must be left outside the self-catering units in a sealed bag when used for them to be washed.
At the end of the self-isolation period, a specialist cleaner must be employed to complete a deep clean using a ULV Microbial fogging method.
No one in the worker’s household can have, or have had in the previous 14 days, any Covid-19 symptoms and workers must have a test at an accredited centre 72 hours before travel to the island.
Workers must have a Covid test on the fifth and 13th day after arrival in the Bailiwick, or on other days as required by the medical officer of health.
General conditions dictate that successful applicants cannot travel to the Bailiwick if they have any symptoms of Covid-19, no matter how mild, they must self-isolate as directed by the medical officer of health, undertake tests when told to, not attend the workplace if they have symptoms and adhere to good standards of hygiene.
In addition, they must wear a mask when within two metres of other people, use only pre-arranged transport to go between their place of residence and work, remain on the island for the duration of their work and comply with the medical officer’s directions and requirements.
The business must provide a method statement of how it will meet social distancing and hygiene standards and meet the cost of any testing undertaken and any associated medical treatment that is required.
