Dubbo's Ben Furney Flour Mills has introduced twice-weekly rapid antigen testing at its operation as part of its COVID safety plan.
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Chief executive officer Sarah Furney said the company had taken the measure to ensure the staff of between 70 and 80 people had a safe working environment.
The family-run operation, which was named 2021 Western NSW Business of the Year this month, had also provided support to arrange vaccinations for the team, she said.
A rapid antigen test gives results of whether someone has presence of the virus that causes COVID within about 15 to 20 minutes.
It has been used quite broadly internationally, and in Australia there are certain industries using it as part of the frequent occupational testing.
"We're going to continue to test in line with monitoring the prevalence of COVID in our local community," Ms Furney said.
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When the COVID risk rose once more in 2021, Ben Furney Flour Mills drew on its experience and resources from 2020 to meet the challenge.
In 2020 as the pandemic hit, the leadership team had worked tirelessly to devise and implement a COVID safety plan, all within seven days, Ms Furney said.
For its efforts it received a 2020 SafeWork NSW Award for an outstanding work, health and safety response to the changed working environment.
The work put into the 2020 "dry run" saw the business well-placed when in August the Delta strain became imminent in western NSW and it again implemented its COVID safety plan, Ms Furney said.
The team was well-drilled in protocol and eased into COVID mode once again, she said.
"As case numbers rose locally we knew it was only a matter of time before we were confronted with a positive case," she said.
As case numbers rose locally we knew it was only a matter of time before we were confronted with a positive case.
- Ben Furney Flour Mills CEO Sarah Furney
"When it did come, it was imperative that we could continue production and keep supply up to our bakeries and food manufacturers.
"Our team segregation and sanitising procedures helped to safeguard our team members, limit any transmission and allow us to keep producing.
"Having a team go into isolation and staff coming in and out due to close and casual community contacts certainly put us under pressure and we have to recognise the support our team has shown to us as a business as well as the support they have given to each other during this period.
"It is inspiring, and for that, we say thank you."
It is inspiring, and for that, we say thank you.
- CEO Sarah Furney
Ms Furney - the third generation involved in the family business - offered some thoughts about how the region was positioned to recover from COVID.
"As NSW and Victoria ease out of lockdown we are seeing increasingly positive sentiment across our customer base," she said.
"Whereas last year our region thrived on domestic tourism, 2021 was the polar opposite and it's now more important than ever to support our passionate and hard-working business community by keeping it local."