Face Mask Policy For Staff in COVID-19 (NSW).

Face masks are now mandatory for a range of staff in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Wollongong, effective 3 January 2021.

Given the public health orders issued by the NSW Government, we have developed a policy for your staff to follow when attending the workplace.

This policy will cover

✅   The industries where staff must wear a face mask
✅   The NSW locations where staff must wear a face mask
✅   What is considered a suitable face mask?
✅   How to effectively remove and dispose of your face mask
✅   Lawful reasons for not wearing a face mask

Download the Face Mask Policy For Staff in COVID-19 (NSW) now.

To download the Face Mask Policy For Staff in COVID-19 (NSW), we just need a few quick details.

Should I wear a mask if I am in NSW?

The NSW Government has made face masks mandatory in certain indoor settings. These settings include:

• shopping venues including retail, supermarkets and shopping centres
• public transport
• indoor entertainment such as including cinemas and theatres
• places of public worship
• hair and beauty premises
• tattoo parlours
• massage parlours
• betting agencies
• gaming areas in licensed premises
• when visiting residential aged care facilities.

Who is exempt from wearing a face mask?

The public health order includes a number of excuses for not wearing or removing a mask under certain circumstances. 

You are not required to wear a mask if you:

• are a child aged 12 or under
• have a physical or mental health illness or condition, or disability, that makes wearing a mask unsuitable (for example, a skin condition, an intellectual disability, autism or trauma).

Best practice for wearing a mask .

• The face mask must cover both your mouth and nose

• You must wear your face mask, even if you are more than 1.5m away from others
• If you are travelling to and from work on public transport, you must wear your face mask
• You must keep your face covering on, even if you are talking on the phone or with others face to face, maintaining 1.5m distance
• If you require a short break from wearing your mask, you must follow the below advice on removing it. 

• • Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol.
  • Don’t touch the front of the face mask or your face.
  • Carefully remove your face covering by grasping the ear loops or untying the ties. For face masks with a pair of ties, unfasten the bottom one first, then the top one.
  • Fold the mask and put it directly into the laundry or into a disposable or washable bag for laundering. Single-use surgical masks should be disposed of responsibly in the rubbish bin.
  • Clean your hands again by washing them or using alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

What industries require face masks to be worn by staff?

• hospitality venues (for staff who have a customer-facing or food preparation role)
• retail premises or business premises that provide goods or services to members of the public who attend the premises, including
  • supermarkets
  • shopping centres, but not a recreation facility (indoor) in a shopping centre
  • bank branches
  • post offices
  • Service NSW centres
  • hairdressing salons
  • nail salons
  • beauty salons
  • tanning salons
  • waxing salons
  • spas
  • tattoo parlours
  • massage parlours
  • betting agencies
  • gaming lounges
• entertainment facilities
• gaming areas in licensed premises (including casinos)
• premises, including places of public worship, being used for public worship or religious services
• residential aged care facilities

When can you remove your mask?

You may remove your mask when you are:

• eating or drinking
• communicating with another person who is deaf or hard of hearing
• at work and the nature of your work 
  • makes wearing a face mask a risk to your or another person’s health and safety
  • means clear enunciation or visibility of your mouth is essential
• asked to remove your mask for identity purposes.

You may also remove your mask:

• because of an emergency

Want more?

Visit our COVID-19 Resource Hub. In here, you’ll have access to templates, policies, guides, webinars and so much more.

Visit the Employment Hero COVID-19 Resource Hub here.