gov.uk guidance 11 May: working safely during COVID-19 (including in homes)

[telectrix]

Page 20 of that publication.
Guy cutting through wood with a circular saw, looking at the camera, not the workpiece.
He’s going to lose a finger if he doesn’t pay attention.

he's already got all his fingers bandaged up anyway.

 

[Midwest]

i understood from previous guidelines that essential repairs only applied to visiting houses where occupants were vunerable/ self-isolating.there's been no restriction on working in homes provided precautions are taken.

Think we’ve argued that to death before, but my reading of it was anybody’s house vulnerable or not etc.

However that was then, I’m interested in the now or what it will be.
[automerge]1589362654[/automerge]

Here's a picture from the guidance PDF:


Source:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb967e286650c2791ec7100/working-safely-during-covid-19-other-peoples-homes-110520.pdf

They don't look like they're doing essential repairs and maintenance.

Having briefly read through that. You carry out and document a risk assessment, wear PPE (for COViD19) where appropriate, then can carry out routine works?

 

[happysteve]

Having briefly read through that. You carry out and document a risk assessment, wear PPE (for COViD19) where appropriate, then can carry out routine works?

If by "where appropriate" you mean, "responding to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19" then yes. If you mean "wear PPE (for COVID-19)" more generally, then the guidance does not state this.

Here's what it says about PPE (bold bits my emphasis):


PPE protects the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment, such as face masks.

Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so.

At the start of this document we described the steps you need to take to manage COVID-19 risk in the workplace. This includes working from home and staying 2m away from each other in the workplace if at all possible. When managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.

The exception is clinical settings, like a hospital, or a small handful of other roles for which Public Health England advises use of PPE. For example, first responders and immigration enforcement officers. If you are in one of these groups you should refer to the advice at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus- covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-plan/covid-19- personal-protective-equipment-ppe-plan

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19- decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19- decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings.

Workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against COVID-19 outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very high, your risk assessment should reflect the fact that the role of PPE in providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE free of charge to workers who need it. Any PPE provided must fit properly .

 

[Baddegg]

words words words

 

[ferg]

Page 20 of that publication.
Guy cutting through wood with a circular saw, looking at the camera, not the workpiece.
He’s going to lose a finger if he doesn’t pay attention.

The whole point of the measures is to slow the spread of the virus to a manageable rate not to prevent the spread.

So measures are in place that sound contradictory but really it's just accepting spread in some areas but limiting it in others to keep the rate of spread at a manageable level.

That's my understanding of it anyway.

 

[Midwest]

If by "where appropriate" you mean, "responding to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19" then yes. If you mean "wear PPE (for COVID-19)" more generally, then the guidance does not state this.

Here's what it says about PPE (bold bits my emphasis):


PPE protects the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment, such as face masks.

Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so.

At the start of this document we described the steps you need to take to manage COVID-19 risk in the workplace. This includes working from home and staying 2m away from each other in the workplace if at all possible. When managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.

The exception is clinical settings, like a hospital, or a small handful of other roles for which Public Health England advises use of PPE. For example, first responders and immigration enforcement officers. If you are in one of these groups you should refer to the advice at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus- covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-plan/covid-19- personal-protective-equipment-ppe-plan

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19- decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19- decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings.

Workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against COVID-19 outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very high, your risk assessment should reflect the fact that the role of PPE in providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE free of charge to workers who need it. Any PPE provided must fit properly .

I know we need to return to work, but I’m not sure how all this social distancing etc is going to work out.

Allegedly in carehomes they have been in lockdown for a while, the only people allowed in, have been careers. But some residents have died of the virus, the only people they could of caught it off are their careers.

Just bear that in when making any risk assessments.