COVID-19 HIGH RISK PERIOD: OFFICE MANAGEMENT POLICY & PROTECTION OF CLIENTS & PERSONNEL
1. Purpose:
Living Link Realty is committed to protecting its clients, agents as well as their personnel against exposure to the Covid-19 virus whilst the virus is considered to be presenting a risk of infecting persons in accordance with the risk strategy adopted by the government of the Republic of South Africa. As such, Living Link Realty has adopted this policy to minimise the risk of contact with the Covid-19 during the listing of properties.
2. Scope:
For the protection of persons during the listing of properties, all Living Link Realty personnel or sub-tenants renting any part of any living Link office will comply with the procedures and work instructions that follow in this policy document.
This policy document will apply to all Living Link offices and store rooms, be it formal facilities or home offices. It is accepted that, where a store room is integral to an office that all precautions taken when entering the office will be deemed to have been taken before entering the store room.
3. Application:
This policy will come in effect on 1 June 2020 and will remain in effect until, in accordance with the risk strategy adopted by the government of the Republic of South Africa, the spread of the virus no longer poses a significant risk to persons.
4. Reference to Singular, Plural, Male, Female:
For the purpose of this document where reference is made to the singular, this will apply equally to the plural and where reference is made to one gender, this will equally apply to the other gender.
5. General Requirements for the Protection of Persons:
- No member of staff will enter or permit any other person to enter any of the Living Link offices or store rooms where any such member of staff or other person is known or suspected to be infected with or is known or suspected to have been exposed to any other person who is known or suspected to be infected with the Covid-19 virus
- No more than the permitted number of persons as per the prevailing government regulations will be permitted to be present in any Living Link office or store room.
- No person will be allowed access to any Living Link office or store room if that person is not wearing a face mask or shield.
- All persons wishing to gain access to access to any Living Link office or store room will be required to have their hands sanitised before entering the access to any Living Link office or store room, provided that, where a store room forms am integral part of an office, persons may enter such store room if their hands have been sanitised on entering the office.
- No person will be allowed to enter any Living Link office or store room unless such person has been scanned for excessive temperature immediately prior to entering the office or store room, provided that, where a store room forms am integral part of an office, persons may enter such store room if they have already been scanned before entering the office.
- No person with a temperature in excess of 38oCelcius to enter any Living Link office or store room.
- Each agent should familiarise himself with the typical symptoms associated with Covid-19 infection. These include unexplained or uncommon cough, fever, redness of eyes, body aches, shortness of breath, body aches, nausea, vomiting, loss of smell or taste, fatigue or diarrhoea?
- No person will be allowed to enter any Living Link office or store room where it is evident that such person is presenting the symptoms of Covid-19 infection.
6. Procedures and Work Instructions:
6.1 Requirements before persons may enter an office or store room:
- Inform all persons that Living Link Realty will adhere to strict procedures to protect all parties against the possible spread of the Covid-19 virus. This may be done by means of the clear display of legible posters.
- Warn all persons on entering the office that they are required to wear face masks. Where a client does not have a face mask, a new, unused face mask may be provided, however, no person will be allowed to enter any Living Link office or store room unless they are wearing a face mask.
- Warn clients to refrain from any physical contact such as the shaking of hands, cuddling or picking up of children (unless these are their own children or children that are in their care).
- Request that all persons not required to enter the office for the purpose of the client’s visit remain outside.
- Inform all persons who wish to enter the office or store room that they will be required to undergo temperature screening before entering and that, should any person present with a temperature of greater than 38oC, the person may not enter.
- Inform all persons wishing to enter the office or store room that they will be required to sign a register in which traceable details are recorded immediately on entering the office or store room.
- Inform each person wishing to enter the office or store room that he will be required to make a statement that the symptoms associated with Covid-19 infection is not presenting in him.
- Scan and note the temperature of each person before entering the office or store room, provided that, where a central scanning facility for larger complexes are available, it is acceptable that scanning took place at such central scanning facility.
- Check that the entrance register has been completed by each person entering the office or store room.
6.2 Record keeping:
As it is critical that all parties can be traced should it be required as a result of possible exposure to the Covid-19 virus, it is required that comprehensive records are kept of parties who were present in any Living Link office or store room.
These records will include, as a minimum, the following information of the person responsible for the group attending the listing or of the person with whom the listing was arranged:
- Name.
- Residential address of person(s) wishing to enter the office or store room.
- Telephone number(s) of person(s) wishing to enter the office or store room.
- Where a person does not have a telephone number, then the telephone number of a close relative or friend, that can be used to trace the person if necessary, must be provided.
For the duration of the Covid-19 virus at-risk period, such records will be kept on file in the relevant office.
6.3 Additional Requirements for members of Staff:
- Sanitise all surfaces, including chairs and couches at the start of each working day, at least once during the day (midday) and again before closing the office or store room.
- Do not allow persons to enter the office or store room unless surfaces have been sanitised.
- Sanitise each chair and work surface where clients have been sitting or working immediately when the client(s) leave.
- Always wear a face mask or face shield.
- Sanitise hands each time before entering and after leaving the office.
- Refrain from shaking hands, picking up children or having any other form of physical contact with clients.
- Keep a distance of at least two (2) meters from clients. Do not enter small spaces with clients, such as store rooms.
- Immediately sanitise your hands on completion of any meeting with a client.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at least once every hour whilst in attendance at any Living Link office or store room.
6.4 Requirements at the end of a working day (before locking the office or store room):
- Sanitise the hands of all parties before they leave the office or store room.
- Destroy used face masks where applicable.
Note: Clients may retain their face masks but no face mask may be retained by any member of staff for re-use by another person under any circumstances.
Place filled pages of the client entrance on file.