Rooftop solar installers warned, get serious about Covid-19 control or shut up shop

One Step Off The Grid

Residential solar companies should adopt strict social distancing and other measures recommended to avoid the spread of infection of Covid-19, or “shut up shop,” the Smart Energy Council has warned.

In an industry webinar discussing how Australia’s rooftop solar industry could continue to operate during the Coronavirus lock-down – presuming the sector is not also compelled to shut down – SEC chief John Grimes warned companies must “go all-in” on strict infection control measures.

These included workers washing hands with soap and water upon arrival at a rooftop solar installation site, washing them again before leaving, wearing masks and goggles to discourage face touching, and staying at least 1.5 metres away from work colleagues and customers.

“Those companies that take this crisis the most seriously are likely to … be the same companies that are going to survive,” Grimes said, referring to the economy-wide downturn that will inevitably follow the Coronavirus shut-down.

“Go all in, get deadly serious,” he added. “You’ve actually got no choice. Otherwise, you might as well shut up shop and see where we’re going to be in three month’s time.”

Kiran Hiriyanna, a risk management and health care expert who runs aged care homes said businesses must educate themselves and their staff about the virus and how it transmits, to play their part in stopping the spread.

Social distancing was key, Hiriyanna said, and would need to be carefully adhered to while installers and retailers were first engaging with customers – or at the end of a job, when instructing them on the use of the system.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy sister site One Step Off The Grid, click here…https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/rooftop-solar-installers-warned-get-serious-about-covid-19-control-or-shut-up-shop/

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