As you are aware, these are unprecedented times. We thought we would share a brief update on how Arc Infrastructure is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February Arc set up a COVID-19 working group who were tasked with preparing for and monitoring our response as the situation escalated. This working group has enabled Arc to refine and execute our business continuity plans and stay in step with government regulations and restrictions.
Our people
With the aim to continue to look after our people, contractors, suppliers, customers and protect the community around us we implemented additional controls and new practices within our business.
Our people who work on the front line in business critical roles like our network controllers, maintenance teams, engineers, technicians and safeworking trainers, have had extra hygiene and physical distancing precautions added to their work days.
All Arc Infrastructure employees who can do so are now working from home. Employees who are working from home have access to business critical systems, including mobile phone and email, and can therefore be contacted as normal.
We will continue to review and refine these practices as advice continues to be renewed and updated.
Our operations
Our rail operations continue given the integral part the network plays in transporting freight and supporting the WA economy. However, we have made some changes to the way we work and are continually reviewing this as government advice is updated.
Our Bravo head office and our regional depots remain open for business critical operations, however we are avoiding any face-to-face meetings at this time, either at the office, on or off-site, unless deemed business critical by our General Management team.
In addition to an enhanced hygiene regime and access arrangements that we already have in place, Arc Infrastructure has recently implemented further measures at our network control centres to ensure we continue the operation of our business to the best of our ability. Specifically, the following measures have been put in place:
• New control centers in the metro area to enable the segregation and separation of network control teams
• Bolstering the number of available train controllers
• Decentralising work locations to further disperse the workforce
• Ensuring an even spread of qualifications and experience across locations.
We are not able to accept visitors to our network control centers at this time, please contact your normal Arc contact via phone or email.
Our training team will continue to provide critical Safeworking training to those customers who require it to continue operating. If you have any specific questions about your own or your organisations training requirements, please contact training@arcinfra.com.
Freight rail – A critical service
Given Arc’s role in ensuring the State’s freight continues to move, we have been working closely with industry groups who are ensuring travel restrictions into and around the State do not adversely impact our ability to operate the State’s railway, or the contractors and suppliers who support us in managing the network.
As well as being a critical link for consumer freight into WA, Arc’s rail network also supports bulk commodities being exported globally including WA’s grain industry, which provides somewhere between 40-50% of Australia’s grain production a year.
We are grateful for the work of the Freight and Logistics Council of WA and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA for their advocacy and support over the past few weeks and the support of the key government agencies in the State Emergency Management Committee working through these new arrangements.
To our communities
Arc truly appreciates the role we play in WA’s regional communities. We will continue to support our people in these regions so they in turn can support you. We are supporting services like Foodbank WA who, last week, were at critical levels of basic essentials for WA’s vulnerable. We are looking to provide support to a number of other organisations who will be providing critical services to WA’s vulnerable as the longer term impacts of this pandemic are felt across the State.
If you have any questions on Arc Infrastructure’s response to COVID-19, please do not hesitate to liaise directly with your usual contact at Arc Infrastructure or, alternatively, email covid19@arcinfra.com.
Please stay safe and healthy.
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