COVID-safe Practices

COVID-Safe measures

At Aerial UTS Function Centre, we are dedicated to our clients to ensure they can continue hosting their functions in a safe environment.  Our team is committed to ensuring our venue is adhering to and implementing the National COVID-19 Safe Workplace Principles, in accordance with Safe Work Australia and NSW Government.

On Arrival

All guests entering UTS grounds and Building 10 are expected to go through the necessary safety measures put in place by UTS and Aerial UTS Function Centre. These are as follows;

• There is a 3-person limit in the lifts – please ensure all delegates abide by this restriction on the way into your conference.
• People counting device supporting the physical distancing guidelines and venue capacity calculations.
• Contact tracing registration – clients are responsible for sending through their attendee list prior to the event date. Please ensure this list has both the attendee full name and a contact number.  These details will be kept for 28 days and then securely destroyed.

Venue Capacity

The current Australian Government physical distancing regulations specify that a ratio of 4 square metres per person (excluding staff) and 1.5 metre physical distance is required.

Each of our rooms are 98.8sqm in size, total venue 494sqm. The maximum capacity of each configuration has been calculated by dividing the room size by 4 and then applying physical distancing.

The size of each space, along with the maximum capacity for each setup, is shown in the below table.

When planning, all event team members, speakers, organisers, and attendees must be included within the capacity.

Please contact our office for floor plans and photos to assist with planning your event within the current restrictions.

In Venue

The venue has implemented the following in accordance with Safe Work Australia and the NSW Government in relation to COVID-19 hygiene practices.

Signage

The following has been implemented at the venue to ensure the safety of our patrons.

• Entry and exit points to be identified and well signed, including social distancing protocols
• Terms and conditions of entry will be clearly displayed.
• Public health messaging, including social distancing and public health and hygiene measures.
• Event space capacity signage clearly displayed.

AV Sanitation

Pre and Post Event

All equipment will be cleaned and disinfected prior to use and at the end of the event.

During Event

All AV equipment will be cleaned and disinfected after each use. This includes handheld and lapel microphones, clickers, laptops and devices, lecterns, and side tables.

Environmental Hygiene Signage

Signage will be placed throughout the venue indicating:

1. A guide of how to properly sanitise.
2. COVID safe behaviour.
3. Physical distancing requirements.
4. Directional information for each event.
5. Floor decal markers to highlight 1.5m social distancing measures in common areas

Bathrooms

• Increased frequency of cleaning by trained team members.
• Floor decals will be placed on the floor to identify distance requirements for patrons.

High Touch Points

• All high touch points, including door handles, handrails, catering stations, tables and railings will be regularly cleaned and disinfected across the duration of the event.

Sanitisers

• Aerial have installed twelve hand sanitiser stations, available for all guests across the venue.
• Signage will be placed at stations with instructions on how to sanitise and cough etiquette.

Education and Training

Ongoing staff education and training programs will be implemented to communicate updated protocols provided by Safe Work Australia and the NSW Government.

• All staff have completed the NSW Food Authority Covid-19 Awareness for Food Service Training.
• A COVID-19 safe First Aid Officer will be on site for every event.

Food Service

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease spread from person to person, not a food-borne disease.

In line with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) advises there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted through the consumption of food or beverages, or through contact with food packaging materials.

Aerial Function Centre has reviewed the following food service options with additional COVID safe modifications:

• Plated service
• Buffet service
• Coffee breaks

All food will be individually portioned packaged with individual disposable cutlery via Vegware, a biodegradable packaging company.

Aerial staff will be responsible for the service of all food to all visiting guests in the venue to minimise multiple contact points.

In response to the above Government regulations surrounding food service, Aerial has adjusted what can be offered to ensure a safe, minimal contact food service.  Please see below the revised day delegate packages.

For a customised quote please contact our office for further information.

National COVID-19 Safe Workplace Principles

1. All workers, regardless of their occupation or how they are engaged, have the right to a healthy and safe working environment.
2. The COVID-19 pandemic requires a uniquely focused approach to WHS as it applies to businesses, workers, and others in the workplace.
3. To keep our workplaces healthy and safe, businesses must, in consultation with workers, and their representatives, assess the way they work to identify, understand and quantify risks and to implement and review control measures to address those risks.
4. As COVID-19 restrictions are gradually relaxed, businesses, workers and other duty holders must work together to adapt and promote safe work practices, consistent with advice from health authorities, to ensure their workplaces are ready for the social distancing and exemplary hygiene measures that will be an important part of the transition.
5. Businesses and workers must actively control against the transmission of COVID-19 while at work, consistent with the latest advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), including considering the application of a hierarchy of appropriate controls where relevant.
6. Businesses and workers must prepare for the possibility that there will be cases of COVID-19 in the workplace and be ready to respond immediately, appropriately, effectively, and efficiently, and consistent with advice from health authorities.
7. Existing state and territory jurisdiction of WHS compliance and enforcement remains critical. This includes a commitment to communicating what constitutes best practice in prevention, mitigation and response to the risks presented by COVID-19.

Precautions recommended by the Australian Government Department of Health help ensure the safety of our visitors and team members, including:

1. Placing hand sanitisers with supporting signage
2. Placing guidance on hand washing in bathrooms
3. Placing tissues and bins for their hygienic disposal with supporting signage on Coughing Etiquette
4. Thorough and regular sterilisation of surfaces, including bathrooms, common furniture and, all touch points such as door handles, etc.
5. Continued rigorous adherences to ISO and HACCP food safety management standards within all culinary services.
6. Strict adherences to all physical distancing measures and limit of one person per four square metres.

Further information can be found via the below links:

Government Guidelines:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/what-you-can-and-cant-do-under-rules

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/industry-guidelines/conference-and-function-venues

https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert

As of July 1, the NSW Government released guidelines specifically for the Conference and Functions industry.  To ensure the safety of all guests and staff, please refer to the below key points when booking your event.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/industry-guidelines/conference-and-function-venues#checklist-of-matters-to-be-addressed-in-your-covid-19-safety-plan

Physical distancing

• Capacity must not exceed one person per 4 square metres of space (excluding staff).
• For conferences, consider allocating people to topic-specific streams to minimise co-mingling between groups, and allocating specific seating areas to these streams for larger plenary sessions.
• For functions, consider allocated seating and encourage people to remain seated as much as possible to minimise co-mingling between seated groups.
• Seating must be separated by 1.5 metres.
• If a conference has multiple sessions, consider staggering the start times of different sessions to minimise crowding around the venue.
• Reduce crowding wherever possible and promote physical distancing with markers on the floor in areas where people are asked to queue, such as for ticketing or for food or drinks. Use separate doors or rope barriers to mark the entry and exit wherever practical.
• Consider strategies to decrease co-mingling between groups during networking events such as restricting these to allocated stream groups or conducting virtually.
• Alcohol will only be served to seated attendees.
• If you want to have dancing at the function, make sure to choose a venue that has a dancefloor area with enough space between guests. Think about strategies to avoid crowding on the dancefloor and ensure people do not take alcoholic drinks on the dancefloor.
• Promote online ticket purchasing and electronic ticket checking where possible. Consider whether conference or function registration and information packs can be provided online, such as through an app, or via post.
• Consider presenting conference posters virtually, such as through an app or website, to prevent crowding in these spaces at the event.
• Where reasonably practical, ensure staff maintain 1.5 metres physical distancing at all times including at meal breaks and in office or meeting rooms.
• Have strategies in place to manage gatherings that may occur immediately outside the premises.
• Encourage private transport options to minimise crowding on public transport where practical.
• A record of attendee names and a mobile number or email address will be required for all attendees for a period of at least 28 days.
• Employers should make staff aware of the COVIDSafe app and the benefits of the app to support contact tracing if required.