Workforce vaccine figure doubted

Vaccination mandates could apply to up to 70 per cent of the workforce now the Government has released a simplified risk assessment tool for employers, a health and safety lawyer says.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood yesterday outlined new requirements for workers to be vaccinated at businesses where customers needed to show My Vaccine Passes under the traffic light system.

He also set out a simplified risk assessment process for employers to follow when deciding whether they could require vaccination for different types of work.

Wood said an estimated 40 per cent of the workforce would be covered by vaccination mandates.

However, Olivia Lund, health and safety expert and partner at law firm Duncan Cotterill, said the percentage of the workforce who would need to be vaccinated to work would be much higher.

‘‘They talk of this 40 per cent figure. It will be much higher than that once you apply the simplified risk assessment in terms of the workforce captured by mandatory vaccinations.’’

The simplified risk assessment process is designed to help businesses make decisions about vaccinations in the workplace.

It includes four key factors, at least three of which must be met, before it would be reasonable to require vaccination for particular work although more testing and refinement of the tool would happen over the next few weeks.

Lower risk environment factors are where workers are in 100 square metres of indoor space of greater, or outside. They work at least 1 metre apart from others and are in proximity to other people for 15 minutes or less. Also, if the worker does not provide services to vulnerable people.

Higher risk factors include work in less than 100sqm of indoor space, less than 1m distance from others, more than 15 minutes in proximity to others and does provide services to vulnerable people.

Lund said the risk assessment process would easily add another 20 per cent to 30 per cent to the Government’s 40 per cent estimate.

‘‘It would be reasonable to say 60 to 70 per cent of work undertaken would require vaccinated workers to do it.’’

Yesterday’s announcement would have been welcomed by employers and the simplified risk assessment would be useful for businesses to rely on, she said.

‘‘It will provide certainty and confidence in decision-making.’’

Staff wanting to continue working in workplaces deemed higher risk by the Government, need to have their first vaccination when the traffic light system comes into effect on December 3 and be fully vaccinated by January 17 to continue working.

It applies to those working in hospitality, events, gatherings, close contact businesses and gyms.