Anyone know?

[fatchap]

What are the rules on Covid for people working in an office?

We have 4 confirmed cases of Covid19 at work, 1 store man and 3 drivers, We now have to wear a mask in the warehouse, Going to the shops and wearing a mask is no big deal, but wearing a mask and loading your van with Mosa's (diesel welder 400 kilo's plus) And all the other heavyweight plant we deal with breathing with the mask on is very difficult. You can't get your breath properly with that much physical exertion.

But the office containing 13 staff do not have to wear one. They do if they come out into the warehouse but for some reason in the office they are exempt. The excuse is they can't talk on the phone to customers with a mask on, which I think is total rubbish.

Boss says they are maintaining social distancing in the office but they don't. When at thier desks they are 2m apart, but what about getting up to use the photo copier? They have to walk past each other and thats not 2m. Also should they not have plastic shields between each other?.

Just like in a pub. you don't need a mask when seated, but get up for the toilet or go out for a fag, then its mask on. The office should be the same am I right here?

We have a temperature reader on the wall, which everyone has to use when entering the building, But that don't work properly as according to the results we are all dead with hyperthermia, mine yesterday was 21.7.

There is general concern that with 4 confirmed cases he should shut for 10 days but he has said that is not going to happen. 

Anyone shed some light on mask wearing in the office?

Edited December 12, 2020 by fatchap

[Rossco89]

I’m not sure what the actually legislation is but in my work place:-

masks must be worn in all communal areas including corridors, copying room and in the canteen until seated at a table eating. 
 

all offices should be social distanced and masks should be worn when that can’t be maintained ie walking round the office for whatever reason.

That being said I contracted covid, from being in the office, I wasn’t close to this person it was most likely a contact with a surface, something like him using my desk phone. Once the virus is in, the damage is done. Our office all self isolated and we then tested positive 7 days after exposure. 

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, fatchap said:

We have 4 confirmed cases of Covid19 at work, 1 store man and 3 drivers, We now have to wear a mask in the warehouse, Going to the shops and wearing a mask is no big deal, but wearing a mask and loading your van with Mosa's (diesel welder 400 kilo's plus) And all the other heavyweight plant we deal with breathing with the mask on is very difficult. You can't get your breath properly with that much physical exertion.

Doesn't sound right to me 

We don't wear masks at our machines but we do in communal areas,  could you not just wear a visor in the warehouse?

Sounds like they are taking the mickey in the office,  if there are that many in there I personally wouldn't go in at all, as soon as someone steps in the office it would have to be over the limit surely. 

Also if they are just office jockeys why can't some of them work from home?

[AVB]

The law only specifies masks to be worn where the public are present, assuming that social distancing can be maintained. Therefore, it is likely that your company has decided that social distancing can be maintained in the office but not in the warehouse. 

[al4x]

My brothers business had an outbreak of 7 cases, basically all the reception staff went down with it.  They believe it was sharing a phone handset despite wiping down etc in between as masks were on and everything else possible done.  
we have a similar setup at work as you do we try and keep office and warehouse apart.  Distancing as much as possible and drivers wearing masks for delivery.  The warehouse being well ventilated we don’t ask them to mask but that is probably as we haven’t had a case yet. 

[Vince Green]

Visors are not worth wearing in terms of spreading or not spreading the virus. 

[AVB]

5 hours ago, al4x said:

My brothers business had an outbreak of 7 cases, basically all the reception staff went down with it.  They believe it was sharing a phone handset despite wiping down etc in between as masks were on and everything else possible done.  
we have a similar setup at work as you do we try and keep office and warehouse apart.  Distancing as much as possible and drivers wearing masks for delivery.  The warehouse being well ventilated we don’t ask them to mask but that is probably as we haven’t had a case yet. 

The chances of 7 people catching it from a shared phone that has been wiped down are extremely remote. I bet if you were to look hard enough there would be another common denominator. 

[Piebob]

Also depends on what is being used to wipe/clean down communal devices and areas.  Anti-bacterial wipes are only a smidgen better than useless.

[Gordon R]

I suspect that the company's rationale is that loading in a warehouse would cause the person to breathe harder than in an office.

[Zetter]

As a starter I would ask to see the Covid risk assessment that was done to decide what  precautions should be taken and see if what is being done matches that as this should give some rational behind the decisions  being made.

Masking in the workplace is definitely not mandatory if social distancing can be maintained. We had a full on HSE audit at our place and the precautions we put in place i.e. regular cleaning regime, spreading the staff out round the office, keeping incoming delivery drivers outside were passed with no issues.