“It will be good to have our industry back in business,” says PrintNZ general manager Ruth Cobb. "An announcement will be made on Monday about whether we move to Level 3...and If it goes ahead businesses that can re-open will have 48 hours to have the right protocols in place for safe operation.”
NZ’s cabinet will announce on Monday whether the current alert level 4 lockdown measures will be extended. If the country does move to level 3, businesses will have two days to prepare for reopening.
Under alert level 3, people must work from home if they can but if that’s not possible businesses can reopen if observing health and safety requirements regarding physical distancing and contactless interaction with customers. Businesses only accessed by staff can open under similar health, safety and physical distancing rules.
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"I believe all the businesses in our
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“The change in a nutshell is moving from "essential business" to "safe business" and I believe that all the businesses in our industry can work within that criteria,” Cobb told PrintNZ members via email.
“It means that if staff can work from home then they should continue to do so, and for those that can't work from home i.e. production workers, the business needs to demonstrate they have procedures in place to ensure the safety of their staff when they return to work.
“PrintNZ will work with our members to provide you documentation and practices to allow you to get back to work, but there will be a number of things you need to take into consideration when thinking about re-opening your business, including work levels when you return and the staff levels required to do that work.
Communication with staff at this time will be vital, Cobb says. “There may be many that hear that the change to Level 3 is happening (whenever that may be) and expect to be back at work two days later ready for business as usual. For many, this will not be the case as it will take some time for work levels to be re-established.
“There may be an initial rush of work as printers re-open, but this may peter off again. There will still be many businesses that are unable to open fully and this will also affect potential work levels, depending on the make-up of your customer list.
“So you need to give some thought to how you balance the workload with staffing requirements and how that translates into payment to your staff. Hygiene and distancing will remain paramount, as will keeping track of who comes and goes from your premises so that contract tracing is easily managed if required.
“There will be a self-accreditation scheme in place to register your business - we will provide details of that once it is available, and provide supporting documentation that you may need to complete that.
“It will be good to have our industry back in business, but remember that safety remains the number one goal, as we do not want to end up in Level 4 again.”
For NZ government alert level 3 information, visit here.
Meanwhile, PrintNZ member Permark Industries has turned its hand to making face visors (pictured right) during the coronavirus pandemic and is offering them to members at a special price of $6.80 plus GST and courier.
“The shield is very light and designed to prevent splashing, coughing or sneezing moisture getting in the eyes, nose or mouth,” Cobb says. “It will reduce the ability for the wearer to touch their face. It can be used while on the phone, or talking to people and doesn't muffle your voice like a face mask can. The shield is easy to fit, it has a 3M adhesive at the end of the strap which can be adjusted and reapplied and the face can be easily wiped down with a damp cloth or sterile wipe.”
To order, email sales@permark.co.nz
Minimum order quantity is 10.
Permark Industries also has branches in Christchurch, as well as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
