Risk Logic joins John Hopkins to launch global COVID risk kit

An Australian company has collaborated with the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security in Baltimore, in the United States, to produce a toolkit which will help businesses around the world to safely open their doors following social distancing measures. 

The contents of the kit may be of use to larger early childhood education and care (ECEC) service providers, guiding them through the process of safely opening their support and adjunct offices, as well as to those in the broader ECEC community, such as suppliers, advocacy and lobby groups and other peak bodies and associations.

Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security considered as a world leader in research and innovation, providing knowledge and resources to support prevention and response to public health crises. Throughout COVID-19 many have considered them as a ‘source of truth’ for policy makers and the public around the globe.

In developing the toolkit, John Hopkins sought advice and input from Australian crisis management and business continuity firm RiskLogic, the only Australian entity to be included in the development process. 

The freely available toolkit gives businesses an assessment calculator to measure the risk of transmitting COVID-19 were they to follow “business as usual” procedures, as well as providing practical mitigation strategies to bring identified risks down to a workable level. 

To ensure that the toolkit was relevant to current businesses, the John Hopkins team worked closely with RiskLogic through Adelaide based Dr Rebecca Hoile, who was committed to ensuring that the final product aligned with best practices in business continuity strategies, and was suitable to be implemented across a variety of organisations.

“As Australian businesses and organisations prepare to operate in ‘the new normal’, it was an opportunity to provide relevant and timely input into a resource that enables businesses to remain agile as we deal with the next phase of this pandemic” Dr Hoile said, adding that it was an honour to be one of a select few who were asked to contribute to the resource.  

“It is understandable that CEOs and boards, who have minimal expertise in pandemics and infection control, are seeking expert guidance with how to best protect their staff, customers and suppliers when they reopen” she said. 

In addition to the toolkit, RiskLogic have developed and released a COVID-19 Pandemic Roadmap to help businesses navigate the management, recovery and review phases of the pandemic. The Roadmap aligns with the National COVID-19 safe workplace principles and resources developed by Safe Work Australia.