HSV plans, prepares and responds to COVID-19 transmission risk

HealthShare Victoria (HSV) is implementing a range of activities to prepare, prevent and respond to COVID-19 transmission risks in delivering essential goods to multiple hospital site wards and departments from our distribution centre (DC) sites.

Key points:

• HSV is implementing procedures to prevent and respond to COVID-19 transmission risks in the delivery of essential goods to Victorian hospitals from our distribution centres.
• Preparation for contactless deliveries at loading docks and collection or drop off points is underway.
• We are working with health services to better understand, map, monitor and respond to the risks of COVID-19 transmission throughout our supply chain.

HSV’s logistics team works across multiple health service sites and we’re building on existing precautions to minimise the risk of cross-contamination and avoid any disruption in the supply of medical consumables for our customers.

“Ensuring a COVID-safe operation for our distribution network is HSV’s priority in line with our safety objectives,” says HSV Warehouse General Manager Santo Cavaleri.

“We have already rolled out an on-site vaccination program for all DC employees and established workplace ‘bubbles’ at our DC sites to ensure our warehouse and administrative teams remain separate,” Santo says.

“We are also using driver logs and preparing for contactless deliveries by asking health services to install QR codes at their loading docks and collection or drop-off points.”

An important initiative underway is to work with health services to better understand, map, monitor and respond to the risks of COVID-19 transmission throughout our supply chain.

“Our focus on mapping these risks enables us to put in place procedures and protocols to prevent workplace transmission and ensure both HSV drivers and our hospital customers stay safe while maintaining deliveries of essential goods,” Santo says.

When complete, HSV’s risk rating framework will help establish a clear understanding of transmission risk across our supply chain, including our drivers. Driver risk profiles are based on their vaccination status, the number of sites they attend and the hospital’s rating to assist in monitoring transmission risk.

In moving to contactless health service deliveries, HSV is working with health services and our drivers to avoid the need to enter hospital facilities by using on-site QR codes and a single drop-off point for unloading goods away from patients or employees.

An infection control program has been rolled out to include Level 2 face masks to be worn at all times, hand sanitisers and disinfectant wipes for HSV’s drivers and DC storepeople, together with expert training on how to fit masks correctly. We are also updating our protocols for isolating and cleaning in response to any exposure site interaction or if a confirmed case is on-site.

For more information, contact a HSV Customer Relationship Manager or the HSV helpdesk on (03) 9947 3700 or email helpdesk@healthsharevic.org.au.