To think retail staff should have PPE

[fourpeasinapod]

Was at my local Tesco today and it just made me wonder why on Earth they and other retail workers aren’t being provided with PPE.

If NHS staff can be given it then surely shop workers are entitled to it as well.

@LilacTree1 it’s difficult I know but we need to do everything possible to stop this awful virus getting worse

OP that’s your opinion. I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees.

You offering to pay my bills in this total lockdown?

Apologies to the pp whose friend died by suicide. I didn’t see your post when I made mine.

Unfortunately I do genuinely believe there will be suicides in this building if going outdoors is banned but I hope the government realise that. I’d be very interested to see suicide stats right now. If you don’t die of covid 19, then government don’t give a shit.

Full lockdown?

How do you get out of a full lock down?

We are. That's the point. Everything possible doesn't include locking up the entire population. As a pp said, a huge number of people would still have to interact to keep the basics running.. Getting supplies to the right places, power on, bins collected, banking. Everything possible, within the constraints of reality.

I’m having visions of people driving round with megaphones screaming TOTAL LOCKDOWN NOW, TAKE AWAY MY CIVIL RIGHTS.

@fourpeasinapod are you actually reading anything people are saying? Total lockdown would be an absolute disaster.
I work with purple every day with substance misuse issues, alcohol dependency, domestic violence and children known to social care. Lockdown is causing a nightmare, total lockdown is unthinkable.

Total lockdown would be a disaster. I work in retail and I worry every day, but frankly I feel more at risk from violence rather than virus at the moment. I have written on so many posts lately about the levels of verbal and physical abuse we are facing. People who dont think the queue applies to them, who think if they scream in your face you will magically produce half a dozen eggs for them.

As to catching the virus most of the risk for retail workers again comes.down to customer behaviour. It is not necessary to put money in your mouth before handing it over, when the till barrier is closed and I am stood their filling the self scan with coins, you dont need to climb through it brush past me and pick up something you could have picked up and paid for on your way out after paying at a different checkout for your shopping. You dont need to be browsing and trying on clothes in the aisle as the changing room is locked.

@Greggers2017 if the OP had ever done the kind of work you do she might develop a sense of perspective.

Those working in the supermarkets do here. Masks, gloves, spit shields...

Everyone should be wearing some form of a mask, staff and shoppers. The evidence is that while masks probably don't stop healthy people getting infected, they do help prevent people who are already infected (and maybe don't have symptoms yet) from spreading the virus. Countries who have brought in recommending face masks (even home made cloth ones) for everyone seem to be doing better than countries who haven't.

Shops should also be enforcing people shopping on their own rather than with their family where possible, hand sanitizing stations (alcohol gel or a sink) before entering, and limiting the amount of people in the shop at one time. Perspex screens for the staff also good idea.

The level of PPE you mention (gloves, masks and aprons) are the sane level that care home staff have...and they're performing personal care and are not able to social distance from service users or residents when working.

I think they should be given gloves in shops and possibly masks too, but not aprons.

The amount of people shopping in couples or families need bloody jailed and the key thrown away. I’m fucking fuming with people’s ignorance

I work in retail, a lot of customers just don't get the social distancing, I have noticed a lot of the people wearing gloves and masks are the main culprits. Last week I watched a woman touch every carton of cream in a fridge in Lidl (not where I work )examine it and put it back, no need as the sell by date on the first one she touched was in date for over a week.

Myself and two of my close collegues could actually not be in work at the moment due to being on the list of vulnerable but we are choosing to work, supporting other departments, where we can as our department is quiet and we would all rather any PPE went to NHS or care home staff before us.

Yes we are worried about catching it but others are more of a priority than we are. Luckily my risk is reduced at the moment as I have just gone back after bereavement leave and work have let me adjust my hours so that I don't have to deal with customers and risk getting upset by them.

I’m a retail worker, I have my own masks, gloves and sanitiser. I generally use the gloves because I work outdoors with postcrete and gravel etc and it can rip your hands to shreds without protection.

I have been wearing my mask but only when other staff are in the store. I did source my own equipment, what little PPE the UK has should definitely go to the NHS, carers, social workers and all other frontline workers etc.

My brother is a nurse and he has had to source face shields from the local schools who’re making them. They’re rapidly running out of even basic PPE.

I work in retail. A big tesco store and we have no PPE at all. We bring our own sanitizer that's all. Costomers don't always keep to the 2 metre distancing but most try to. It's scary but no i don't think I need PPE as much as NHS I'm comfortable without it. Washing our hands often is more effective than gloves, aprons really aren't necessary and masks are worn by so many costomers anyway. I go home strip off clothes straight in the washing machine and shower before I go to my kids it's all I can do. I'm comfortable the way things are at work and realise there are other jobs who need protection more than me

If there was enough for others who need it eg NHS and carers then absolutely. People are still going in coughing, there's no way that everyone who enters is following basic hygiene and washing their hands regularly, and people tend to mill about for more than 15 mins and a lot can't be arsed to try and follow social distancing. It is scary for workers, aboslutely nothing in our local shop, and a lot of the staff are doing 60 hours plus a week at the moment.

OP are you just going to post a series of random sound bites or are you going to address the points people have put to you

She's living on cloud cuckoo land. Saying we should lock up people who shop together 🙄 prisons are already over crowded and thousands are being released early. Probation officers are having to see all these releases face to face with no PPE at all!

I doubt if she'll actually address the points. She doesn't seem to handle contrary points of view too well or engage with debate.

Exactly @Greggers2017.

We are talking about a pandemic here. I’ve seen families shopping as if nothing is actually happening. It’s saddening to see

@fourpeasinapod single parents? Couples who cannot shop alone, carers with the people they care for. Have you thought there may be a reason behind it?

Yes I know that. But I’m talking about several people out together in a group. There is no need for that

I work in a shop and I am ideal world anyone working outside of the home should have masks, nhs should have everything they need without anyone questioning how much it costs just get it to them.

I have 3 nhs workers in my family 2 work on covid wards and my dh works for them to. I can’t speak to my sister or niece without crying when lm say goodbye to them as l am so scared for them.
2 people have been found taking surgical masks home from this ward too. It makes me so angry.

If people could gather their shopping for a week in one trip then this would be better and stop the rate of infection. I see some people daily, some twice and it make me so ANGRY but of course l am not allowed to say anything.

@Solongtoshort a neighbour had a go at me the other day as she saw me in the shop for the 3rd time in a day. I was shopping each time for my service users who are shielded.