COVID-19 continues to impact all of us, from how people work to how we conduct our daily lives. As an ‘essential service’ for people with disability Astris PME continues to manage the evolving situation and monitor closely how COVID-19 is affecting our communities, our staff, our clients, and health care professionals.
The Omicron variant has thrown the world, our country and our industry a new challenge, and Astris PME has risen to the challenge, by refining our COVID-Safe plan, and adjusting our operation to continue to operate safely in this new environment.
We are reviewing our COVID policy daily to make sure we are keeping our team safe and looking after our clients' needs. Currently these are our safety protocols:
- All our front line staff (ie Equipment Consultants and Service Technicians) are undergoing Daily RAT Testing, for your safety and peace of mind.
- All our support staff, including office, warehouse and workshop staff, also undergo RAT Testing twice per week, keeping our workplaces COVID-safe.This includes personalised consultations and equipment trials, fulfilling orders and delivering equipment.
Our commitment to safety covers everything, from making sure we are doing our part to stop the risk of spreading the virus to maintaining business continuity with COVID-safety protocols, in accordance with State and National recommendations.
Our Staff:
All staff are double vaccinated and have, or will all have received their booster shots over the coming weeks.
Staff who have direct contact with clients undergo daily RAT testing and wear medical-grade masks, maintain a safe distance where possible and use hand sanitising gel before and after all appointments, as well as disinfectant wipes on all equipment touch points. They are also empowered to make the decision whether to go ahead with a visit if they suspect any risks of infection.
Support staff (including office, warehouse and workshop staff) now undergo twice weekly ‘Rapid Antigen Tests’ (RAT), before starting work. We will continue to revisit this as the current phase of this pandemic evolves.
Our Clients:
Clients have the option of zero-contact deliveries (ZCD). This means we can ‘hand-over’ new equipment outdoors (for example, on your front porch, or via your driveway) if preferred.
Face-to-Face appointments requiring close contact are deferred in the following situations:
- If anyone at the place of appointment has tested positive to COVID.
- If anyone at the place of appointment is currently in isolation due to potential exposure to COVID.
- If any of our staff, clients, their family/carer or therapists are showing any flu-like symptoms or with temperatures 38°C or above. Our Client Service Team make this enquiry at the time of booking the appointment, and if necessary, reschedule their appointment.
Our Facilities:
All our showrooms, offices, workshops, and warehouses strictly adhere to Government Health Regulations and protocols. Each of our facilities undergo regular cleaning by professional organisations, which includes virus-grade disinfectant.
Our Equipment:
The World Health Organisation considers that the risk of transmission via product surfaces is low however, all our equipment undergoes COVID-safe routine cleaning with medical grade disinfectant wipes. This applies to new equipment for delivery, hire and demo equipment.
As always, the situation with COVID is constantly changing. We are guided by information provided by the Australian Government. For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus (COVID-19), visit the Australian Government Department of Health http://bit.do/fAjAc. Or call 1800 020 080. The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can learn more about our different appointment options via this post: https://www.astris-pme.com.au/news/astris-pme-appointment-options
If you have any questions or concerns, please call upon us on 1300 131 884 or email us on clients@astris-pme.com.au. We thank you for your support.
