Security guard who tested positive for COVID-19 says he did not receive proper training
Victoria AU Aug 28 2020
A security guard who tested positive for COVID-19 while he was assigned at a hotel said he did not receive proper safety training at work, and that he continued working despite showing symptoms of the disease, a panel investigating the matter has heard.
The employee, identified only as Security 16 by the Victoria Hotel Quarantine Inquiry, was working for the Rydges on Swanston hotel in Melbourne when he started developing a sore throat and runny nose during his graveyard duty. He did not, however, inform his supervisors.
The man claimed he underwent testing at a hospital right after his shift but, upon feeling better, he proceeded to make food deliveries on the side. He presumed his condition was like a common cold.
“I felt pretty good and I was getting bored at my house,” the man said when asked why he continued making deliveries. The following day, however, his test came back positive for COVID-19.
Security 16 went into isolation for 14 days after which health officials purportedly gave him clearance to step out of his home again. He went back to delivering food soon after.
But when the man had difficulty breathing, he returned to the hospital and a second test showed he was still infected. Despite the result, he resumed work one week after.
Ben Ihle, counsel assisting the inquiry, asked why the employee did not notify the management at Rydges at the first sign of illness.
The employee claimed he was not “fully aware of the symptoms” of COVID-19 and that no one from the management had told him that he should have reported his symptoms.
The man also said he was given only one set of mask and gloves to serve as his protective gear for the duration of his shift.
The employee was allegedly told he could take off his mask and gloves during his break but that he would have to turn away from the hotel security cameras when he does so. He said he could “just put them in [his] pocket” for reuse because there was a shortage of the items.
On August 2, the Victorian government made face coverings mandatory throughout the state unless an individual has a condition that limits their ability to wear a face covering.
“Wearing a face covering protects you and your community by providing an additional physical barrier to coronavirus,” the government advises. “People who do not wear face coverings and do not have a lawful excuse can be fined $200.”
Employers are also required to come forward should there be a COVID-19 outbreak within their premises. “Timely notification of potential workplace transmission of coronavirus (COVID 19) is critical for effective management of related health and safety risks and the prompt investigation of potential breaches of employer duties,” WorkSafe Victoria said.
Employment law experts John Makris and Dominic Fleeton from the firm Kingston Reid believe companies may be held liable for COVID-19 transmissions at the worksite in the same way they are held accountable for any workplace health and safety violations.
“Depending on the state or territory jurisdiction, it could mean heavy fines for employers, and even jail for individuals, found to have breached health and safety legislation as they apply to COVID-19,” Makris and Fleeton shared on HRD.
