COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Action Plan

Important steps we are taking to look after our stakeholders

Last updated : 03 August 2020

During these uncertain times, Detector Inspector’s top priority is looking after the safety of tenants, customers, our field services technicians and office workers. We aim to continue our commitment to making homes safer while providing agents and owners complete peace of mind.

Detector Inspector is an essential safety service and the demand for our services is a legislated requirement in most states. As such, we are continuing to operate normally, albeit with some additional safety precautions. We have already taken several precautions, in line with recommendations made by the Australian Government and World Health Organisation (WHO), to ensure we continue completing jobs in as safe a manner as possible. We are also continually reviewing our procedures as new information is released by relevant authorities.

In Victoria, with the recent announcement of Stage 4 restrictions, we are continuing to operate as permitted by the Department of Health & Human Services’ guidelines, as published on August 3, 2020.

In full transparency and as a leader in safety and compliance sector, here are the steps we have taken to ensure the safety of our internal and external stakeholders, in careful consideration of current and relevant health advice from the Australian Government and WHO.

Tenants & Technicians

Our field services technicians visit thousands of properties across Australia every day.
With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing, we are being proactive and adopting safer working methods.

All technicians have been asked to wear a P2 (or equivalent) face mask and a pair of clean gloves when attending a property or entering a real estate agency to collect keys.

We have provided alcohol wipes to all technicians to wipe the interior of their vehicles and any surfaces they may have touched during a job. We prefer that tenants open any doors in their property during the service so that contact is minimised.

Occupants can request that technicians call them before arriving, allowing occupants time to leave their home during the service.

If a tenant wishes to be present during the service, then we ask that they maintain at least two metres separation from our technicians.

All signature functions have been removed from our mobile application to avoid unnecessary contact.

Technicians are instructed that they must not engage in work if feeling unwell or if displaying any symptoms of flu-like illness.  

Agencies have been asked to notify us if their tenants are in self-isolation. Our bookings staff are asking all tenants if they are self-isolating, have returned from overseas in the past 14 days, or are feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms, prior to making a booking. If the answer is yes, we will put the property on hold. Similar communication is being sent via SMS, email and regular mail. We are equally concerned for the safety of technicians and tenants.

Regional & VIC/NSW Border Properties

  • We are making a conscious effort to book accommodation for Victorian workers on the Victorian side of the border to work with NSW’s 14-day self-isolation rule.
  • We have updated our SMS reminder to better inform residents about our COVID-19 practices.
  • We have updated our phone dialogue to better inform residents about our COVID-19 practices when booking appointments in regional areas.
  • We have enhanced training for our technicians who work in regional Victoria, and across the border, with dialogue whereby they introduce themselves at the door, let the residents know they are from Metropolitan Melbourne and ask the occupants if they are comfortable letting them inside to complete the job.
  • We can arrange for a Detector Inspector accredited regional technician to attend any properties where the resident feels uncomfortable having a technician from Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire.

We take your health and safety very seriously. We have instructed our technicians, electricians and gas plumbers to complete the Infection Control Training for COVID-19 endorsed by the Australian Government.
Click here to learn more about this online training module.   

Office Employees

At Detector Inspector, safety and people are paramount. Here's what we have done to ensure the health and safety of our office employees, and the community at large.

  • The vast majority of our office employees are now working from home, and we have provided them with the necessary equipment to do so. A few employees remain in each office, to assist technicians with vehicles, stock and vital safety equipment.
  • Staff have been provided with comprehensive information taken from the World Health Organisation on how to maintain good hygiene practices during this COVID-19 pandemic.
  • We are practicing social distancing in the office, with limits placed on the number of people who can be in a meeting room, and the number of visitors drastically reduced.
  • We have provided cleaning equipment for office employees to be able to regularly and thoroughly wipe down their workstations and any shared equipment.
  • Any packages delivered to our office (e.g. online shopping and office supplies etc.) are wiped down before handling.
  • All interstate business travel has been cancelled.

A message to our valued agents

We ask that you kindly notify our office immediately should you become aware that a tenant on our service is self-isolating due to actual or suspected COVID-19, so that we can put this property on hold and avoid our technicians attending.

Furthermore, if you have a scheduled meeting with our sales team to discuss our solutions to the new legislation changes, and you prefer to have this meeting via Zoom, Skype or Teleconference, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to bring these up with your Account Manager.

Click below to learn more about Detector Inspector's commitment to our clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

This list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) will be updated as the situation evolves and more relevant information becomes available.

Can I postpone my service?

Legislative and regulatory requirements nationally and across all states set specific times when smoke alarms and gas appliances should be serviced, as well as the frequency of safety checks for commercial properties. It is vital that we be able to continue providing our essential safety service. It is preferable that our service go ahead in line with our additional safety precautions, however we will observe any wishes for postponement.

Are you an essential service? / Can you continue operating? / Why are you working during this time?

Yes. Detector Inspector is considered an essential service and as such will continue to operate because we provide a vital safety service to residential and commercial occupants. We ensure that homes, workplaces and commercial properties are safer, which is even more critical with so many people being at home (or working from home) during this crisis. In many states, there is legislation mandating our service. 

In Victoria, with the recent announcement of Stage 4 restrictions, we are continuing to operate as permitted by the Department of Health & Human Services’ guidelines, as published on August 3, 2020. 

What are you doing to protect me/my tenants during COVID-19?

As noted above and as based on recommendations by the Australian Government and the World Health Organisation, we have taken several precautions in an effort to promote the continued safety of tenants and our technicians. These include the wearing of P2 face masks (or equivalent) and gloves by technicians, the use of alcohol wipes or other recommended sanitisers by technicians, modification of our procedures to remove or minimise any unavoidable contact, constant communication to ensure that our technicians are physically well and tenants do not themselves pose a health risk. We are also giving tenants an opportunity to vacate the property briefly while the service takes place, or conversely asking that they keep at least two metres away from our tenants during the service.

What should I do?

If you are in self- isolation due to actual or suspected COVID-19, or having come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, have travelled internationally in the past 14 days, or if you are feeling unwell or have flu-like symptoms please inform us immediately so we may reschedule your service to a suitable time. In this case, our booking team will put the service of your property on hold and will contact you in approximately one month’s time to reschedule.

If the service of your property is able to go ahead, we kindly ask that open all doors so as to minimise our technician touching any door handles, and that you remain at least two metres from our technician during the service. You can step outside for the duration of the service if you prefer. 

The 2019 coronavirus event (COVID-19) is continually evolving and becoming more relevant to us locally. Detector Inspector is continually seeking ways to mitigate the risks for our people, our customers, tenants and the community at large, so that we can keep operating in a manner as routine as possible.

Valuable Resources

Here's a list of local and international resources about the COVID-19 (Coronavirus)