Physical distancing | Safe Work Australia

Employer

There are current public health directions restricting business operations in some industries in Victoria. For more information, go to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.

Restrictions to business operations may also be in place in other states and territories. If you want to know what restrictions on business operations apply to your workplace, go to your state and territory government website.

Safe Work Australia does not regulate or enforce WHS laws or COVID-19 restrictions on business operations. If you want to know how WHS laws apply to you or need help with what to do at your workplace, contact the WHS regulator in your jurisdiction.

The information below provides guidance on physical distancing during step 2 of the 3-step framework for a COVIDSafe Australia. Some states and territories have updated public health directions to adjust physical distancing rules in line with local circumstances, for example, revising the one person per 4 square metres rule to one person per 2 square metres in some circumstances.

For more information about physical distancing requirements, go to your relevant state and territory government website. You can also go to our Public health directions and COVIDSafe plans page for links to enforceable government directions.

Physical distancing (also referred to as ‘social distancing’) refers to the requirement that people distance themselves from others. The current advice from the Department of Health is that everyone must keep at least 1.5 metres from others (outside of their family unit) where possible. In addition, in a given space, there must be a 4 square metres of space per person where possible.

Why is physical distancing important?

Physical distancing is necessary because the most likely way of catching the virus is by breathing in micro-droplets from another person sneezing, coughing, or exhaling. By ensuring there is 4 square metres of space per person and maintaining a physical distance of at least 1.5 metres from others where possible, you will reduce the likelihood of exposure to micro-droplets of others.

Current health advice is that everyone, including people at workplaces, must implement physical distancing measures wherever possible.

Implementing physical distancing measures is particularly important in the manufacturing work environment, as workers are often in close contact for long periods on production or assembly lines and in other areas in busy plants and factories. Manufacturing workers are also often near each other when clocking in or out, during breaks, or in locker/changing rooms.

How do I make sure there is 4 square metres of space per person?

To achieve the 4 square metre ‘rule’ you would:

calculate the area of the room (e.g. length of room in metres x width of room in metres = area of room in square metres), and
divide the area of the room by 4.

For example, if you had a room that was 160 square metres in size, you should only allow up to 40 people in the room, to allow each person to have 4 square metres of space.

When calculating the maximum number of people, calculations are based on the net floor space that people can freely move around in, taking out divisions and objects such as fixtures, fittings, plant and equipment that occupy floor space and areas that are closed off or not being used.

How do I make sure there is 1.5 metres between people?

You should consider and make adjustments to the layout of the workplace and your workflows to enable workers to keep at least 1.5 metres apart to continue performing their duties. For example, this could be achieved by, spreading out furniture or plant to increase distancing, or considering floor and/or wall markings and signage to identify 1.5 metres distancing requirements.

You should also review tasks and processes that usually require close interaction and identify ways to modify these to increase physical distancing between workers where it is practical and safe to do so.

Do I need to do both? That is, make sure there is 4 square metres per person and physical distancing of 1.5 metres?

Yes. You need to do what you can to make sure there is 4 square metres in your workplace per person and keep everyone apart at least 1.5 metres, where possible.

My workers cannot maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres when performing work. Does this mean they cannot perform work? 

It will not always be possible for workers and others to keep 1.5 metres apart at all times at the workplace. For example, workers may have to work closely with each other or others because of the nature of the task and some tasks require workers to be in close proximity to be carried out safely.

Working in close contact increases the risk of workers being exposed to COVID-19. You must consider whether the work task must be completed or could be rescheduled to a later date. If the task must be completed and your workers will be in close contact, you must undertake a risk assessment to determine what control measures are reasonably practicable in the circumstances to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks from COVID-19. For example, if close contact with others is unavoidable, you must implement other control measures such as:

minimising the number of people within an area at any time. Limit access to the workplace or parts of the workplace to essential workers only
staggering start, finish and break times where possible, so workers are less likely to be travelling on crowded public transport and to avoid congestion of workers in parking areas, locker rooms and entry points
moving work tasks to different areas of the workplace or off-site if possible
if possible, separating workers into dedicated teams and have them work the same shift or work in a particular area, and consider whether these dedicated teams can have access to their own meal areas or break facilities
install screens or plastic strip curtains where possible to minimise the risk of droplet transmission from one worker to another. Partitions may need to be adjusted to integrate with the processing line or other manufacturing equipment
for tasks performed in tandem with workers across from one another, positioning partitions to protect workers while allowing the pass-through of materials
ensuring each worker has their own equipment or tools. If tools are shared, they should be cleaned and disinfected before and after each worker uses them, and
limiting physical contact by using drop off points or transfer zones for shared tools, spare parts, samples and raw materials.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) may also be appropriate in some circumstances where physical distance is not able to be maintained. See also our information on PPE below.

What physical distancing measures do I need to implement in my workplace?

Below are measures to ensure physical distancing is achieved in workplaces in the food processing and manufacturing industry.

Every part of the workplace needs to be considered. This includes areas such as entry and exit points, shared facilities like cafeterias, toilets and change rooms, warehouses, kill floors and manufacturing, packaging and storage areas.

Remember, you must consult with workers and their representatives (e.g. health and safety representatives (HSRs)) on health and safety matters relating to COVID-19, including what control measures to put in place in your workplace.

Worker interactions and work tasks  

Where possible, provide each person with 4 square metres of space in enclosed areas in accordance with general health advice.
- To achieve this, calculate the area of the enclosed space (length multiplied by width in metres) and divide by 4. This will provide you with the maximum number of people you should have in the space at any one time.
- Where the nature of work means you are not able to provide 4 square metres of space per person, you need to implement other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
To help you achieve 4 square metres of space per person (or where not reasonable, to achieve the maximum space per person) limit the number of workers in your workplace by:
- facilitating working from home for office/administrative staff, where you can, and
- splitting workers’ shifts to reduce the number of workers onsite at any given time. Schedule time between shifts so that there is no overlap of staff arriving at and leaving the workplace or have different entrances and exits to avoid interaction.
Direct workers to keep 1.5 metres of distance between them in accordance with general health advice. To achieve the best outcomes for physical distancing:
- implement measures in combination with measures for 4 square metres spacing, as set out above
- put signs around the workplace and create wall or floor markings to identify 1.5 metres distance, for example between workstations. Your staff could wear a badge as a visual reminder to each other of physical distancing requirements, or designate workers to monitor and facilitate physical distancing on processing lines and in common areas like break rooms
- limit physical interactions between workers, workers and clients, and workers and other persons at the site – e.g. by using contactless deliveries and limiting non-essential visitors, and
- require workers to use other methods such as mobile phone or radio to communicate rather than face to face interaction.
Where it is practical and safe to do so, review tasks and processes that usually require close interaction and identify ways to modify these to increase physical distancing between workers.
- For example, slow down production in order to create additional time to reduce congestion in boot wash, change and locker rooms.
- If workers clock-in and out in areas which can become congested, consider if it can be done using an alternative procedure, such as a having a supervisor check names off a list or provide additional equipment to clock in at another entrance.
- Consider grouping work teams into sub-teams or cohort groups to reduce the number of different people each person works directly next to. In large sites, cohort groups could work in distinct areas to limit movement within the workplace. This may minimise the spread of COVID-19 if present in the workplace, minimise the number of workers that need to quarantine if quarantine should be required, and increase the effectiveness of any changed systems of work (such as split shifts).
- Where possible, limit crossover of workers between different work sites.
If changing work tasks and processes is not possible, reduce the amount of time workers spend in close contact. See below for further information where workers are performing tasks in close contact, including vehicle use.

See also our information on what to do if your workers cannot maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres.

Layout of the workplace  

You may need to redesign the layout of the workplace and your workflows to enable workers to keep at least 1.5 metres apart to continue performing their duties. This can be achieved by, where possible:
- restricting workers and others to certain pathways or areas, such as creating single file pathways, and
- spreading out furniture or plant to increase distancing.
Modify the alignment of workstations so that workers do not face one another.
Eliminate shared worktables and benches in favour of single worker stations.
Consider floor and/or wall markings and signage to identify 1.5 metres distancing requirements.
Allocate different doors for entry and exit through the workplace to minimise bottlenecks.

If changing the physical layout of the workplace, your layout must allow for workers to enter, exit and move about the workplace both under normal working conditions and in an emergency (including exiting in case of fire) without risks to their health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable.

Physical distancing practice examples

Bad

Workers are within 1.5 metres of one another, side by side or facing workstations.

Workers are within 1.5 metres of one another, side by side or facing workstations
Images courtesy WorkSafe Victoria

Good

Physical barriers such as partitions, separate workers from each other.
Partitions may need to be adjusted to integrate with the processing line or other manufacturing equipment.

Physical barriers such as partitions
Images courtesy WorkSafe Victoria

Good

Workers are spaced at least 1.5 metres apart, not facing one another.
Other configurations may be used to achieve similar distancing between workers.

Workers are spaced at least 1.5 metres apart, not facing one another
Images courtesy WorkSafe Victoria

Good

Physical barriers such as partitions separate workers from each other.
Partitions may need to be adjusted to integrate with the processing line or other manufacturing equipment, including where workers need to perform tasks in tandem across with each other.
For tasks performed in tandem, with workers across from one another, partitions can be positioned to protect workers while allowing the pass-through of materials.

For tasks performed in tandem
Images courtesy WorkSafe Victoria

Source: These images have been adapted from WorkSafe Victoria’s guidance on Managing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) exposure: Meat and poultry processing.

Staff gatherings and training

Face-to-face gatherings, meetings or training only where, and for as long, as necessary.
Hold gatherings, meetings or training in spaces that enable workers to keep at least 1.5 metres apart and with 4 square metres of space per person – e.g. outdoors, in large rooms, or by tele and video conferencing.
Ensure handwashing facilities, or if not possible, alcohol-based hand sanitiser, are available for workers before and after attending gatherings, meetings or training.
Ensure there is adequate ventilation if gatherings are held indoors.

Workplace facilities 

Ensure workers maintain physical distancing from others at all times, including during breaks and in common areas such as bathrooms, lunch rooms, car parks and smoking areas.
Reduce the number of workers using common areas at a given time – e.g by staggering meal breaks and start times.
If possible, arrange separate lunchrooms for work teams or cohort groups. There may be other areas which could be used as alternative break and lunch areas for workers, such as training rooms or portables.
If possible, provide each worker with a permanent chair in the lunchroom. If this is not practicable, appropriate cleaning and disinfecting should be undertaken between each use.
Re-arrange chairs and tables to maintain 1.5 metre distancing, for example by limiting each table to 2 people, seated at each end, unless greater distancing can be achieved. Remove excess seats. If this is not possible, consider installing barriers on tables in lunchrooms.
Ensure any catering or food service is assessed to minimise contamination risk. For example, consider replacing “made to order” food service with “grab and go” premade options.
Provide single use kitchen utensils, cutlery and cups, or if they must be shared ensure they are washed after use, preferably in a dishwasher.
Limiting the use of water fountains to dispense into water bottles only.
Spread out furniture in common areas. If changing the physical layout of the workplace, you must ensure the layout allows for workers to enter, exit and move about the workplace both under normal working conditions and in an emergency (including exiting in case of fire) without risks to their health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable.
Consider providing separate amenities for workers and others in the workplace – for example separate bathroom facilities for workers and visitors/clients. Increase amenities such as portable toilets and wash areas if required to help maintain 1.5 meters physical distancing.
Increase the number of areas for changing, or allow more time for changing, and consider staggering change times where practicable.
Consider changing taps on site to knee or foot-operated, creating partitions between taps and between hoses, and using exhaust fans to reduce high humidity if needed.
Place signage about physical distancing around the workplace. Our website has links to a range of posters and resources to help remind workers and others of the risks of COVID-19 and the measures that are necessary to stop its spread. These posters can be placed around the workplace and in client-facing work environments (e.g. workplace entrances). Consideration needs to be given to how to communicate with workers and others with English language barriers.

Meat and poultry processing

Workers in the meat and poultry processing industry are not exposed to COVID-19 through the meat products they handle. However, there is the potential for an increased risk of exposure due to environmental conditions (e.g. cold and damp) and tasks that normally require close interaction between workers. This has been seen in abattoirs which have had outbreaks both in Australia and overseas.

Workers in meat and poultry processing workplaces often have prolonged close interaction with each other, which can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Staff often work close to one another on processing lines and workers may be near one another at other locations, such as entrances/exits to the facility, clocking in/out points, break rooms, wash rooms, boot rooms, locker/changing rooms, toilets, showers and washing rooms prior to entry into kill floors or processing rooms.

As COVID-19 outbreaks among meat and poultry processing facilities can rapidly affect large numbers of people, it is important that physical distancing, hygiene, cleaning and other measures are implemented in these workplaces.

Screening workers

In addition to the physical distancing measures outlined above, consider implementing a process to screen workers before they enter the workplace. This could include:

reminding workers of the common symptoms of COVID-19 and that they should not be at work if they have or have had any of the common symptoms in the last 48 hours
asking workers if they have recently travelled or been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19
conducting temperature checks with touch-free thermometers. Temperature checks can be used in combination with other measures but they should not be solely relied on. Temperature checks do not tell you whether a person has COVID-19, a person could have a temperature for another reason unrelated to COVID-19, and people with COVID-19 may also be asymptomatic or on medication that reduces their temperature

For more information on temperature checks and related health monitoring measures, see our information on health monitoring.

It is important that workers and other people who have COVID-19 symptoms do not attend the workplace. You should consider:

providing education and training and placing signage to increase awareness of COVID-19 symptoms and what a person should do if they have symptoms including:
- not coming to work or isolating or quarantining, where instructed by health officials
- the steps to follow if they develop symptoms at work
- when to seek medical advice and get tested
supporting workers to access testing, stay home if they have symptoms and implementing remote working options for workers in isolation or quarantine, if possible, and
workplace policies and procedures to manage cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the workplace.

For information about what do if you suspect someone at the workplace has COVID-19 or has been exposed, see our information on COVID-19 in the workplace.

Lifts

Even if workers and others only spend a short amount of time in a lift each day, there is still a risk of exposure to COVID-19 that you must eliminate or minimise so far as reasonably practicable.
- See our information on the meaning of reasonably practicable.
There is no requirement to provide 4 square metres of space per person in lifts, however you must still ensure, as far as you reasonably can, that people maintain physical distancing in lifts and lift waiting areas.
Remember, you must consult with workers and their representatives (e.g. health and safety representatives (HSRs)) on health and safety matters relating to COVID-19. This includes consulting workers and their representatives on what control measures to put in place to minimise their risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, including when using lifts.
You must also consult with the building owner/manager and other employers in the building about the control measures to be implemented to address the risk of COVID-19. You may not be able to implement all of the control measures yourself but must work with others to ensure those measures are put in place.

What can I do to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission in lifts?

Safe use of lifts is best achieved through a combination of measures, determined in consultation with workers, including those that control the number of people needing to use a lift at any one time. This includes:
- reducing the number of workers arriving and leaving buildings and using lifts in peak periods, where possible (e.g. stagger start and finish times for workers by 10-15 minutes per team or group)
- maintaining working from home arrangements for some staff (where this works for both you and your workers). This could include splitting the workforce into teams with alternating days in the workplace (e.g rotate teams so they are one week in the office and the other week at home), and
- changing lift programming to facilitate more efficient flow of users – e.g. decrease the time that doors stay open on each floor (where safe to do so) or where there are multiple lifts, assign specific lifts to certain floors based on demand (e.g. lift A to service floors 1-5, lift B to service floors 6-8 etc).
Where workers and others use lifts it is still important that they physically distance themselves to the extent possible when waiting for a lift and when in the lift. You must do what you reasonably can to ensure crowding in and around lifts does not occur.
In the lift lobby or waiting area:
- ensure workers and others maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres, to the extent possible
- implement measures at waiting areas for lifts, such as floor markings or queuing systems. Also create specific pathways and movement flows for those exiting the lifts where possible (you may need to consult with your building manager or other employers in the building to ensure this occurs). You could consider engaging someone to monitor compliance with physical distancing measures where appropriate
- place signage around lift waiting areas reminding users to practice physical distancing and good hygiene while waiting for and using lifts, including to wait for another lift if the lift is full
- display an advisory passenger limit for each lift – these limits could be temporarily adjusted up by one or two during peak periods where additional demand is unavoidable (subject to it not leading to overcrowding in lifts) to facilitate extra movement of workers and to prevent overcrowding in waiting areas. This may result in fewer persons travelling in a lift at any one time to ensure workers and others maximise physical distance from each other, to the extent possible
Within lifts:
- users of lifts must maintain physical distancing, to the extent possible. Lifts must not be overcrowded and users should avoid touching other users.
- workers must practice good hygiene in lifts. If they do need to cough or sneeze during a journey they must do so into their arm or a clean tissue.
- place signage in the lift reminding workers and others to practice good hygiene by washing their hands, or where this is not possible, using appropriate hand sanitiser, after exiting the lift, particularly if they touched lift buttons, rails or doors – see also our information on hygiene
- implement regular cleaning of high touchpoints such as lift buttons and railings – see also our information on cleaning.
Staff must not to come into work, including using lifts, if they are unwell.

New risks

In some cases, depending on the design of a building, stairs may be an option to reduce demand on lifts. If workers and others are to use stairwells or emergency exits as an alternative to using lifts, you must identify and address any new risks that may arise. For example:
- the increased risk of slips, trips and falls particularly if the stairs are narrow and dimly lit
- the risk that arises when opening and closing heavy fire doors, and
- the risk that a person may become trapped in the stairwell.
You must also consider workers’ compensation arrangements and whether your contract of tenancy allows for workers to use stairs, other than in an emergency.
You must also consider how other existing WHS measures will be impacted if you allow workers and others to use stairwells or emergency exits. For example
- does increased usage of emergency exits and stairwells impact your emergency plans and procedures? See also our information on emergency plans
- will stairwell usage increase the risk of fire doors being left open?

Deliveries, contractors and visitors attending the workplace

Delivery drivers, work crews and maintenance staff that travel to and from other sites may present an increased risk of exposure.

Non-essential visits to the workplace should be cancelled or postponed.
Minimise the number of workers attending to deliveries and contractors as much as possible.
Delivery drivers and other contractors who need to attend the workplace, to provide maintenance or repair services or perform other essential activities, should be given clear instructions of your requirements while they are on site.
Ensure handwashing facilities, or if not possible, alcohol-based hand sanitiser, is readily available for workers after physically handling deliveries.
Direct visiting delivery drivers and contractors to remain in vehicles and use contactless methods such as mobile phones to communicate with your workers wherever possible.
Direct visiting delivery drivers and contractors to use alcohol-based hand sanitiser before handling products being delivered.
Use, and ask delivery drivers and contractors to use, electronic paper work where possible, to minimise physical interaction. Where possible, set up alternatives to requiring signatures. For instance, see whether a confirmation email or a photo of the loaded or unloaded goods can be accepted as proof of delivery or collection (as applicable). If a pen or other utensil is required for signature you can ask that the pen or utensil is cleaned or sanitised before use. For pens, you may wish to use your own.

On-going review and monitoring 

If physical distancing measures introduce new health and safety risks (e.g. because they impact communication or mean that less people are doing a task), you need to manage those risks too.
Put processes in place to regularly monitor and review the implementation of physical distancing measures to ensure they are being followed and remain effective

Do I need to provide personal protective equipment to workers who are in close contact with each other? 

You must ensure workers comply with physical distancing requirements where possible. In circumstances where the nature of the task requires workers to be in close contact, you must put control measures in place that minimise the time workers spend with each other or with other people in the workplace. You must also ensure workers are practicing good hygiene.

If you have a situation where, despite other control measures, workers will be in close contact with each other or with other people for longer than the recommended time (i.e more than 15 minutes face to face cumulative over the course of a week or more than 2 hours in a shared closed space), consider the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Workers must be trained in the proper use of PPE. Be aware of WHS risks that may arise as a result of workers using and wearing PPE. See also our information on PPE.

My workers need to travel in a vehicle together for work purposes. How do they practice physical distancing?  

You must reduce the number of workers travelling together in a vehicle for work purposes. You should ensure that only two people are in a 5 seat vehicle – the driver and a worker behind the front passenger seat. Only one worker should be in a single cab vehicle.

These measures may mean:

more of your vehicles are on the road at one time
more workers are driving and for longer periods than usual (if driving by themselves).

Because of this, you should review your procedures and policies for vehicle maintenance and driver safety to ensure they are effective and address all possible WHS risks that arise when workers drive for work purposes.

If workers are required to travel together for work purposes and the trip is longer than 15 minutes, air conditioning must be set to external airflow rather than to recirculation or windows should be opened for the duration of the trip.

You must also clean vehicles more frequently, no matter the length of the trip, but at least following each use by workers. See also our information on cleaning.

Do workers need to practice physical distancing when on a lunch break or when travelling to and from work?

Yes. Everyone should be keeping 1.5 metres apart wherever possible. You should consider any break areas in the workplace that may lead to people congregating (e.g. designated smoking areas, outdoor benches) and monitor compliance with physical distancing in these areas. Consider whether any changes to these areas in the workplace are needed in addition the areas where work is performed.

Note that in some states and territories there may be strict limitations on gatherings in public places. This means that in some circumstances, workers cannot eat lunch together in a park or travel together in a vehicle to and from work.

You should refer to your state or territory health authority for further information on specific restrictions in place under public health directions or orders in your state or territory.

Small Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for everyone. As a small business it is understandable you may have concerns about how to continue to meet your WHS duties at this time. There are a number of practical steps you can take to manage the risk of exposure to COVID-19 at your workplace and meet your legal obligations.

Here are some ideas to help you get started thinking about what you can reasonably do to keep people safe at your workplace for your industry.

For more WHS information and resources for small business, go to the COVID-19 Small business hub.

There are current public health directions restricting business operations in some industries in Victoria. For more information, go to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.

Watch our video for information on physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your small business.

Watch video on YouTube Download Transcript

Why is physical distancing important?

Current health advice is that everyone, including people at workplaces, must implement physical distancing measures wherever possible.

How do I make sure there is 4 square metres of space per person?

To achieve the 4 square metre ‘rule’ you would:

calculate the area of the room (e.g. length of room in metres x width of room in metres = area of room in square metres), and
divide the area of the room by 4.

For example, if you had a room that was 160 square metres in size, you should only allow up to 40 people in the room, to allow each person to have 4 square metres of space.

How do I make sure there is 1.5 metres between people?

Do I need to do both? That is, make sure there is 4 square metres per person and physical distancing of 1.5 metres?

Yes. You need to do what you can to make sure there is 4 square metres in your workplace per person and keep everyone apart at least 1.5 metres, where possible.

My workers cannot maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres when performing work. Does this mean they cannot perform work? 

minimising the number of people within an area at any time. Limit access to the workplace or parts of the workplace to essential workers only
staggering start, finish and break times where possible, so workers are less likely to be travelling on crowded public transport and to avoid congestion of workers in parking areas, locker rooms and entry points
moving work tasks to different areas of the workplace or off-site if possible
if possible, separating workers into dedicated teams and have them work the same shift or work in a particular area, and consider whether these dedicated teams can have access to their own meal areas or break facilities
install screens or plastic strip curtains where possible to minimise the risk of droplet transmission from one worker to another. Partitions may need to be adjusted to integrate with the processing line or other manufacturing equipment
for tasks performed in tandem with workers across from one another, positioning partitions to protect workers while allowing the pass-through of materials
ensuring each worker has their own equipment or tools. If tools are shared, they should be cleaned and disinfected before and after each worker uses them, and
limiting physical contact by using drop off points or transfer zones for shared tools, spare parts, samples and raw materials.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) may also be appropriate in some circumstances where physical distance is not able to be maintained. See also our information on PPE below.