Page 26 - Australasian Paint & Panel May-June 2020
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Surviving the Pandemic Special • Mental Health
PAINT&PANEL MAY / JUNE 2020
We had heard anecdotally that fast moving parts have been in plentiful supply so far. 70.40% of respondents said that they hadn’t experienced any significant parts shortages and 67.40% saying the same for consumables (excluding masks).
A vast number of consumable items come out of China and there are bound to be some delays in popular items after the hiatus in production. However many major Australian suppli- ers keep up to six months stock of lines and also source items from other markets.
Unless the curve starts to round again, it is probable Australia will avoid a prolonged stage four lockdown. 60% of respondents thought their business could survive a stage four lockdown of one month or more.
Just 16% reported other local repairers shutting down. I checked on some of the shops that were reported closed. Few of them were, some were in 'hibernation' others were operat- ing reduced working hours or days. Early indications from our May survey is that hibernating shops had already reopened.
We asked people what they intended to do during lockdown restrictions – their replies:
40.45% STRIPBACKASMUCHASPOSSIBLE, CLOSE EARLY AND RIDE IT OUT
27.73%
12.27% 2.73%
3.18% 13.64%
THE RIGHT
IMPROVE THE WORKSHOP, CLEANING, DECORATING
EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT PROCESSES TO IMPROVE WORKFLOW
SERVICE WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT
TRAIN & UPSKILL STAFF OTHER
HEAD SPACE
The majority of the ‘other’ answers were to do all of the above or to hibernate.
Industry suppliers may be disappointed to read that only 4.40% were definitely going to use the raising of the instant asset write off threshold to buy new equipment with a further 17.2% saying they would if the lockdown doesn’t wipe profits. 46% said they would like to but don’t have the money to spend and 31.98% said they already have all the equipment they need.
THE PANDEMIC HAS SPREAD ANXIETY, FEAR, MENTAL AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. LIFELINE SUGGESTS WAYS TO AVOID FEELING OVERWHELMED.
THE OUTBREAK OF THE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 HAS IMPACTED
people in varying ways on an international scale. It is under- standable that during times like this, people may be feeling afraid, anxious and overwhelmed by the constantly changing alerts and media coverage regarding the spread of the virus.
While it is important to stay informed, the following are some mental health and wellbeing tips and strategies to continue look- ing after ourselves and each other during these difficult times.
• Manage your exposure to media coverage as this can in-
crease feelings of fear and anxiety. Be mindful of sources of information and ensure you are accessing good quality and accurate information.
• Follow a “calm yet cautious” approach – do your best to re- main calm and be mindful not to contribute to the widespread panic that can hinder efforts to positively manage the out- break. Ensure you are following directives issued by the gov- ernment, medical advice and observe good hygiene habits.








































































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