With strict isolation restrictions beginning to ease across the country, we are a step closer to returning to normal. However, with these first steps of recovery in place, we still must be mindful of the risks. Managing risks for employees and the community is paramount and the Government has continued to stress the importance of contact tracing as an essential component of that. A New Zealand based council, Kapiti Coast District Council (KCDC), has generously shared with WaterOutlook their solution for integrating contact tracing with standard health and safety checks recorded on their WaterOutlook app. One activity that has been driving KCDC to manage their contact tracing records is one-off water meter readings taken by Council staff. These are done as part of bill adjustments associated with leak repairs, or when a property title has been transferred. Both circumstances involving a reading outside of their routine quarterly schedule. This task often requires Council staff to go onto residential properties, which can carry the risk of close contact. The records captured through the following form could be a vital source of information to local health authorities if anyone associated with the Council team, or has visited residential properties, contracts Covid-19. The initial part of the form tracks the details of the fieldwork undertaken: the type of work, when, where, and by whom it was undertaken by, as seen in Figure 1. The second section allows workers to fill out COVID-19 specific questions, by assessing the extent and risk of any close contact that may have occurred, as seen in Figure 2. The last section of the app allows the worker to capture any extended written or photographic descriptions of the work or any incidents that may have occurred, as seen in Figure 3.
The messaging from the Government and health authorities is clear that in the unfortunate event of further community transmission, time is of the essence to stop the spread. Good record keeping can dramatically keep our communities safe. To learn how you can install or have one of our WaterOutlook professionals install this tracker app to keep your field staff safe, please contact our product manager, Adam Simpson.
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