Dr Clive Sher Interview: How to prepare for & manage an outbreak in the workplace

We sat down with Dr Clive Sher, our Chief Medical Officer to hear his insights into how to manage and prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak in the workplace.

Over the past few months, Dr Clive Sher has seen it all when it comes to dealing with COVID-19 in the workplace. Utilising his expert knowledge, Dr Clive Sher has been closely involved with multiple organisations who have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks and worked with the DHHS to get them back up and running.

Today Dr Sher shares his insights with our CEO, Dean Mohr, check them out in the videos below.

Meet Dr Clive Sher

Dr Clive Sher, is a strategic thought leader with a long and successful career in the healthcare industry. Since immigrating to Australia in 1985, Clive has gained extensive experience working in the Medical, Healthcare, Occupational Health and Safety, Workcover and Optometry industries over the past 25 years. Dr Clive Sher, has a direct relationships and experience in working closely with the DHHS and has been heavily involved in assisting a client in reopen after an COVID 19 outbreak.

What do you think about the rising cases in Victoria?

The numbers are bad and they are going to fluctuate. No matter the numbers, we have a real problem here. It’s a huge risk and spreading like wildfire…

Are you concerned for NSW with their rising number?

We know it’s not going away any time soon and there is always the potential for an outbreak….

With the rate of spread, what is the biggest risk you see in workplaces?

Closed environments, like meat companies, present a high risk. We know now that preparation is key…

What are some of the things you’ve done proactively? What lessons did you learn?

You have to focus on the things you wouldn’t normally think about and you have to treat each worksite differently…

Tell me about your experience working with DHHS?

Unfortunately, they just can’t cope with the high numbers and case management. They are unprepared…

What did you do differently working with DHHS the second time?

We notified them on Day 1 there was a close contact and potential for cases or an outbreak but we didn’t wait for them to start closing the site and getting cleaners…

How did you manage contact tracing internally?

Since we couldn’t rely on DHHS, we created an employee database and policies and procedures to handle it internally…

Whose responsibility is it to contact trace? DHHS or employers?

DHHS has limited capability, so the employer should take it upon themselves to be proactive and even get support from other contractors…

What is the best risk prevention against COVID-19?

Every barrier you put in place reduces risk. Do all that you can as added risk prevention: masks, environmental cleaning, social distancing, daily health check apps, temperature checks…

If you’d like to see the video in full, you can watch the link below.

If you would like to learn more about our COVID-19 support services, contact our friendly team today to discuss what options are best for your organisation.

From onsite rapid antigen screening to work from home support, our COVID-19 workplace services are designed to support you.