Product Overview

Summary: This COVID-19 Safety Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, practical controls to prevent virus transmission in Australian workplaces while keeping operations running safely. It provides a structured, evidence-based approach to hygiene, physical distancing, case management, and communication so you can demonstrate due diligence and protect your people, visitors, and business continuity.

COVID-19 remains a foreseeable biological hazard that Australian businesses must manage under WHS legislation. This COVID-19 Safety Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, step-by-step framework to identify exposure risks, apply layered control measures, and respond effectively to suspected or confirmed cases in the workplace. It translates public health advice and WHS obligations into practical, day-to-day actions that can be implemented across offices, warehouses, construction sites, retail, and service environments.

The procedure helps you standardise how your organisation manages hygiene, ventilation, vaccination policies, symptom screening, visitor controls, and cleaning regimes, reducing confusion and inconsistency between sites or shifts. It also sets out defined communication and escalation pathways so managers know exactly what to do if a worker becomes unwell, tests positive, or reports a close contact. By implementing this SOP, businesses can demonstrate due diligence to regulators, reassure workers and clients, and maintain business continuity during periods of heightened transmission or changing public health directions.

Developed for the Australian context, the SOP aligns with Safe Work Australia guidance and state and territory public health requirements, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to changing variants and government settings. It provides ready-to-use content that can be integrated into your WHS management system, induction programs, toolbox talks, and contractor management processes, supporting a consistent and defensible approach to COVID-19 risk control.

Key Benefits

• Ensure your workplace meets WHS duties to manage COVID-19 as a biological hazard in line with Australian guidance.
• Reduce the risk of workplace transmission through clear, layered controls for hygiene, distancing, ventilation, and PPE.
• Standardise your organisation’s response to suspected and confirmed cases, minimising confusion, downtime, and reputational damage.
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators, workers, clients, and visitors with a documented, auditable COVID-19 safety process.
• Streamline communication, consultation, and training so workers and contractors understand their responsibilities and required behaviours.

Who is this for?

• Business Owners and Directors
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• HR Managers
• Site and Facility Managers
• Office Managers
• Operations Managers
• Infection Control Leads
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Return-to-Work Coordinators
• People and Culture Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Exposure to airborne respiratory droplets and aerosols containing SARS-CoV-2
• Contact with contaminated surfaces and shared equipment
• Close-contact transmission in offices, vehicles, lunchrooms, and confined spaces
• Psychosocial risks related to COVID-19 anxiety, stigma, and changing work arrangements
• Business disruption due to uncontrolled outbreaks and unplanned staff absences
• Non-compliance with public health orders and WHS obligations leading to legal and financial risk

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 References, Definitions and Abbreviations
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Consultation
• 4.0 COVID-19 Risk Assessment and Hierarchy of Controls
• 5.0 Workplace Hygiene, Handwashing and Respiratory Etiquette
• 6.0 Physical Distancing, Occupancy Limits and Workplace Layout
• 7.0 Ventilation, Air Quality and Use of Shared Vehicles
• 8.0 Personal Protective Equipment (Masks and Respirators)
• 9.0 Cleaning, Disinfection and Waste Management
• 10.0 Symptom Screening, Testing and Attendance at Work
• 11.0 Management of Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
• 12.0 Contact Tracing, Isolation and Return-to-Work Requirements
• 13.0 Management of Contractors, Visitors and Clients
• 14.0 Psychosocial Risk Management and Worker Wellbeing
• 15.0 Communication, Training, Induction and Toolbox Talks
• 16.0 Record Keeping, Privacy and Documentation
• 17.0 Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
• 18.0 Emergency and Contingency Planning for Outbreaks
• 19.0 Appendices – Checklists, Forms and Example Signage

Legislation & References

• Model Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations (as implemented in relevant Australian jurisdictions)
• Safe Work Australia – COVID-19 Information for Workplaces and Industry-Specific Guidance
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Australian Government Department of Health – COVID-19 Guidelines for Businesses
• AS 1668.2: The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings – Ventilation design for indoor air contaminant control
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
• AS/NZS 4815: Office-based health care facilities – Reprocessing of reusable medical and surgical instruments and equipment, and maintenance of the associated environment (as guidance for infection control principles where relevant)