This Protocol:

• is a simple, practical and public-health led guide for retailers and shopping centres that continue to trade, are re-opening or are preparing to re-open when COVID-19 restrictions ease,
• is particularly focussed on public gatherings, whereby retail employees, customers, contractors and others are physically in a retail store or shopping centre,
• provides 10 key actions that should be taken, however does not substitute legislative responsibilities. Further guidance should be taken from National Cabinet decisions, public health authorities and workplace health and safety authorities such as WorkSafe Australia, and
• key actions will be different at each shopping centre and retailer, noting that each shopping centre, retailer (e.g. café versus clothing versus pharmacy) and retail premises is different, including issues such as location, tenancy mix, operating hours, size, customer visits, open-air / enclosed spaces, customer access points, car-parks, loading docks and co-location with public transport facilities.

The key principles which have guided this Protocol are:

• public health and safety guidelines to protect people against infection and help prevent the spread of COVID-19,
• compliance with ongoing Government and public health authority rules, directions and restrictions, and
• working with and assisting Government and public health authorities when required.

Key public health rules retailers and shopping centres need to follow are:

• Be aware of any risks to employees, contractors and the community for any aspect of retail trade, including deliveries to loading docks and within stores, re-stocking, and opening hours of trade,
• Facilitating and encouraging social distancing to ensure a 1.5m distance can be maintained,
• Ensuring adherence to public gathering limits to ensure there is no more than 1 person per 4m2 and stores, and
• Any centre or retail-type specific restrictions such as cinemas, food courts and cafes and restaurants.

All Australians are reminded:

• To treat retail workers with respect as they continue to serve and ensure the community can access essential and other goods and services, and
• Abusive and violent behaviour towards retail workers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

10 Key Actions that retailers and shopping centres should take are:

*Key actions will be different at each shopping centre and retailer, noting that each shopping centre, retailer (e.g. café versus clothing versus pharmacy) and retail premises is different, including issues such as location, tenancy mix, operating hours, size, customer visits, open-air / enclosed
spaces, customer access points, car-parks, loading docks and co-location with public transport facilities.

1. Making alcohol-based hand sanitiser at key locations such as store entrances, building entrances, customer service desks and food courts,
2. Increasing frequent cleaning and disinfecting of regularly used objects and hard surfaces (e.g. payment registers, ETFPOS machines, hand-rails, bathroom door handles, shelves, shopping
   trolleys, counters and benches, food-court tables, staff-rooms) and other key hygiene measures (e.g. waste disposal).
3. Facilitating and encouraging social distancing guidelines in accordance with Government or public health authority directions, which is currently a distance of 1.5m. Actions could include signage ‘reminders’, one-way queueing, and ground markings (e.g. stickers or tape) for queueing.
4. Ensuring public gathering limits in accordance with Government direction are adhered to, which is currently no more than 1 person per 4m2 in stores (inclusive of staff), can be
   maintained. Actions could include regulating access points, monitoring customer counts at relevant entrances, and displaying signage.
5. Promoting contactless transactions such as ‘tap and go’ instead of cash for payments, facilitating distancing at counters and benches, and staff wearing disposable gloves when they are handling objects and money.
6. Monitoring and encouraging customer adherence to relevant public health guidelines by security guards and other personnel, which may also include Police visits to shopping centres.
7. Continuing to focus on the community’s access to essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies and health and medical facilities, especially for vulnerable people.
8. Daily check-ins with employees on their well-being, ensuring employees and contractors are properly trained and have access to relevant information and personal protective equipment (PPE). These check-ins will include monitoring customer behaviour to ensure retail workers are being treated with respect – abusive and violent behaviour towards retail workers will not be
   tolerated.
9. Fostering open and frequent communication between shopping centre management and retailers, including to alert each party to any Government or public health authority directive, to assist authorities when required, and continue to release information and guidance to employees and customers about good hygiene advice.
10. Maintaining relevant essential safety measures such as air-handling systems, exit doors, emergency power supply, smoke alarms, sprinkler systems and fire-isolated stairs.

The above issues could be summarised in a COVID-19 Recovery Safety Plan, which could be made available to employees, contractors and the community, and which could be reviewed and amended regularly as restrictions ease and in response to any Government or public health authority directive.