Covid-19 Health and Safety

POLICY FOR COVID-19 TOURIST GUIDE TRAINING

STUDENT TRACKING / RECORD KEEPING

• TGI will collect and keep clear records of all their students: with student ID’s, home addresses, accommodation addresses, personal email and contactable telephone numbers.
• Students will also need to fill in a form disclosing their health status and medical history.
• Demographically the age of the students will be limited to lower risk age groups. We would recommend only students under 65 years old attend our courses until there is a Covid-19 cure or vaccination.

COMMUNICATION TO STUDENTS

• Key messages on social distancing, personal hygiene, and other protocols to prevent transmission of COVID-19 will be distributed to staff, students in various formats.
• TGI will stay up-to-date with advice from national government and adjust messaging accordingly.
• Written guidelines to COVID-19 protocols will be provided to all staff and students, and posted on TGI’s website.

PROTECTIVE GEAR / EQUIPMENT

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes items that protect against different types of risk. At this stage, the wearing of non-clinical cloth face masks will be mandatory in the classroom, in the field and on the bus.
• TGI will continue to monitor government advice on PPE and proceed accordingly. In the event that use of extra PPE is recommended, the use of gloves and face shields or visors may be most appropriate to the classroom, bus and outdoor setting.
• Hand sanitizer will be available in the classroom and on the bus. Each student will also need to have their own hand sanitizer to use after touching surfaces.
• Hand washing with soap and water will be recommended before entering and exiting the classroom and bus.

TREATMENT OF EQUIPMENT

• Strict protocols on cleaning and disinfecting the classroom premises and bus transport will be observed.
• The premises and bus companies will have contact and cleanliness policies in accordance with NDH and WHO guidelines.
• Surfaces (e.g. counters, desks and tables, door handles) and objects (e.g. tea/coffee equipment) will be cleaned and wiped daily with a disinfectant solution.
• Bathrooms will be cleaned and disinfected daily.
• Communally used objects e.g. soap dispenser, dryer for hands, dustbins, tea and coffee making utensils will be sterilized daily. Students will be asked to bring their own coffee mug and teaspoon as well as own water bottles.

FURTHER PROTOCAL FOR TRAINING/EXAM VENUE

• The training room must have adequate ventilation, such as a window leading to the outside for fresh air circulation. While there is little conclusive evidence that the virus can be spread through air conditioning systems, the use of air conditioners will not be permitted until more evidence on its risk is released.
• Training establishments will undergo regular deep cleaning and disinfecting.
• If an outbreak of COVID-19 is identified on a training establishment premises, the premises will be temporarily closed and undergo deep cleaning and disinfection, while staff and students will need to undergo a 2-week isolation period. Re-opening of the premises will be on the advice of clinical authorities.

FURTHER PROTOCOL FOR BUS TRANSPORTATION ON PRACTICAL DAYS

• All vehicles must adhere to strict Department of Transport rules for COVID-19 transportation, including private vehicles used by students and staff.
• All buses used will have had deep cleaning done before use by TGI as well as their air conditioning systems cleaned after each new group.
• There will be hand sanitizer available at the door of the bus.
• Garbage bags will be made available on the bus and removed by the bus company at the end of each day’s tour.
• The bus driver will wear a non-clinical cloth mask at all times when he is in the bus.
• There will be social distancing inside the bus by: obeying the Department of Transport policy which at the moment is 70% occupancy; TGI will hire a bus big enough so that there is only 1 student per row of 2 seats
• Students will be allocated their own seat for the duration of the practical days so that they are able to keep their own ‘bubble’ clean.
• Students will file into the bus in order of seating with back rows entering first, to avoid unnecessary congestion in the aisle.

STAFF TRAINING REQUIRED

• A comprehensive induction to all COVID-19 protocols will be included in new staff and student orientation sessions.
• Staff will undergo training on all COVID-19 protocols, including how to deal with stigmatization and what to do in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 within a training course.
• Written guidelines to COVID-19 protocols will be provided to all staff, students, and posted on training establishments website.

OTHER SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

• TGI will introduce measures that will ensure social distancing guidelines, as promoted by the National Department of Health (NDH) and World Health Organisation (WHO), are adhered to, both in the classroom and on practical tour days.
• Class sizes will be reduced to allow for the recommended minimum distance between participants.
• Classrooms will be arranged in such a way that students do not directly face one another.
• Appropriate furniture and equipment will be installed to facilitate social distancing.
• Only staff essential to the running of face-to-face classes onsite will work on the training establishments premises, with other staff to work from home where possible.
• TGI will conduct online pre-arrival screening and orientation for new students, and further testing for students where required.
• TGI will adapt courses towards a blended learning model in the short term, combining online and face-to-face classes, to reduce student contact within the training establishment.

INDUCTION FOR COVID-19 PROTOCOLS FOR TGI STAFF AND STUDENTS

HEALTH STATUS AND MEDICAL HISTORY

• All staff and students will need to fill in a form with contact details, health status and medical history.
• Staff or students who have had Covid-19 will be asked to disclose this information as well as proof of their clean bill of health.
• Staff and students could be assessed daily as to their health status. This could be in the form of health status questions or temperature taking using a distance thermometer.
• All information will be kept secure by TGI and only used if there is exposure to Covid-19 by either a staff member or student. This information will only then be made available to the National Department of Health to help them in tracking contacts.
• All TGI staff sign a confidentiality form at the beginning of each year that student details will be kept confidential.
• Six months after a course, this information will be shredded.

PROTECTIVE GEAR AND OTHER CLEANLINESS PROTOCOLS

• Every staff member and student is required to wear a non-clinical cloth mask in the classroom, in the venue’s common areas and on the bus.
• The mask is recommended to be 3 layers thick with thick fabric on the outside. The correct usage of wearing a mask is available on a video on TGI’s Facebook Page.
• The only time the mask can be removed, is when the person is eating or drinking or needs to blow their nose.
• A clean mask is to be worn each day, being washed at the end of the day or session and either hung in the sun till dry or ironed with a hot iron. Therefore, it is recommended that each person is to have 2 cloth masks.
• Staff and students must refrain from touching their masks unnecessarily and encouraged to hold each other accountable.
• No staff member or student will be allowed in the classroom or on the bus without wearing a clean mask.
• When entering and exiting a premise, staff and students must wash their hands either for 20 seconds with soap and water or with 70% alcohol hand sanitizer.
• The premises and bus will have hand sanitizer available, but each staff member and student must also carry their own hand sanitizer with them at all times.
• The premises will also have a soap dispenser and water available in the bathrooms for hand washing. These will be sterilized at the end of each day.

PROTECTION AT VENUES, IN THE FIELD AND ON THE BUS

• Staff and students must bring their own mug and teaspoon for tea and coffee breaks at training and exam venue.
• Staff and students must also bring their own cutlery and crockery when bringing their own lunch to the training venue.
• Staff and students will need to provide their own water bottles.
• See TGI’s Policy for Post Covid-19 Training for protocol at premises and on the bus.