I'm really scared. Not allowed to wear a mask at work

[LavenderLilacTree]

It's just to vent really as I know there is no way round it.

I am really scared. I am a TA and when all the pupils are back in school we aren't allowed to wear face masks or any PPE. Social distancing is not going to happen.

The government have said only go back to work if it's safe and you can ensure social distancing, well it's not going to be safe for me. Government say to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces but teachers and TAs are not allowed to.

I am scared. I am in my 40s and have 3 children in Yr 8, Yr 7 and Yr 5 . I know it's a 3% chance of dying but to me that's not an insignificant risk. I would never take part in any activity that had a 3% chance of dying.

I just feel like the government doesn't value my life. This is a deadly virus that KILLS, i want to wear a mask. My life matters to me, my husband and my children.

It's scary at work at the moment but we only have 4- 7 kids in. When we have a full school it's going to be impossible to stay 2 meters apart so therefore you feel I should at least be able to wear a mask.

I love my job and the children at school but I don't want to give my life for it. I just think I should be able to have some form of protection. It's like my life doesn't matter.

You should be allowed to wear a mask if it makes you feel safer. Ridiculous if you are not allowed. However do read more about infection rates and death rates from COVID to get a better sense of your actual risk. It will help to get perspective. To start with you are assuming you will definitely get infected - why? not everyone gets Covid even those exposed.
Then you assume if you get it you have a 3% chance of dying from it (even people in the 80s do not face that level of risk of death). You are much safer from Covid than you think.

Are teachers and ta aware that there are a lot of poeple currently still at work atm without wearing masks in rooms with far more than 15 people in? And don't assume that adults are more behaved and understanding than children

I'm not by any means saying thats right but if you want to wear a mask I believe you'd surely be allowed to if if makes you feel safer

@Klouise777 if that is the case my concern goes to them as well as us. In my opinion just because other people are having to work like this too, it doesn't make it OK.

I didn't say its OK but I feel the last few days lot of teachers concerned about something which firstly is in the future which they can have a say on and an input where as other industries are already working and have throughout, they can surely adopt and learn from these. Other countries have allowed children back so this can be looked at too. For most they won't be back until September and let's not forget key workers children in schools already so there's already some things to work on

The science behind children not being spreaders is enough to help with the worry.

I'm sorry but this hasn't been proven on fact the cheif scientific officer has said although children generally have mild symptons they can carry it and pass it on. Which is partly why grandparents are not allowed to hug their grandchildren.

Twattergy I agree with your post. There's a balance that has to be found between being cautious and mindful of spreading infection and being overly anxious (phobic?) and overestimating those risks.

Even very young children pick up a lot from adult's attitudes and demeanour and it would be quite damaging to convey that fear in a classroom setting.

My husband has just reopened the building site he is managing after a week of preparation for new safe measures. All staff are being inducted, informed of all guidelines and educated on the risks. They are also encouraged to air their own concerns and ask questions.
I would imagine that TAs would be similarly inducted before returning to work so Op would feel more confident and informed?

I’m back June 1st in school with no PPE equipment. I can’t quite fathom why the attitude toward masks etc is so different in this country than abroad. Surely this cavalier attitude will just drive us into a second lockdown?

I really don’t get this thing about not being allowed PPE. Are you being told categorically that you must not wear it?

The type of cloth/paper masks which would be available do NOT protect the wearer. They might slightly protect you if they are worn by someone who is infected (the equivalent of them permanently having a hanky over their mouth and nose).

As others have said, the chances of someone healthy in their 40s dying is negligible. About 300 people under 45 have died and most of them will have had an underlying health condition.

Since this started care workers, food manufacturing and supermarket workers, people in pharmacies and the few businesses that have had to remain open to save lives and prevent starvation and riots, have had to get on with it. Over this time the government has had a chance to formulate its guidance and organisations have had 2 months to put protocols in place - the others had to make it up while operating at 100 miles and hour and 25% absence.

@Klouise777 hopefully those adults won't cough or sneeze in your face, put their fingers in their mouths/up their noses/down their pants and then want to hold your hand, need a cuddle because they are scared or tired or have hurt themselves... I could go on. Teachers and support staff face this every single day.

People in residential care looking after disabled or vulnerable people face that every day too and they've never stopped working.
They only wear ppe when doing personal care or working with confirmed cases.
I understand the fear but other people are having to work in risky situations too.
They cant just refuse to work.

Daffodil101
I really don’t get this thing about not being allowed PPE. Are you being told categorically that you must not wear it?

Yes it is in the DFE guidance.

On PPE, it says

"this will only be required where pupils already require this for their own care, or by teachers of pupils become unwell with symptoms of coronavirus and need "direct personal care until they can return home"

"In the latter case, the guidance says: "A face mask should be worn by the supervising adult if a distance of two metres cannot be maintained."

But it says on social distancing

Because of this lack of social distancing schools should "work through" a "hierarchy of measures":

Avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms.
Frequent hand cleaning and good respiratory hygiene practices.
Regular cleaning of settings.
Minimising contact and mixing.

that would be bad enough but as children are often asymptomatic no avoidance will take place.

As for regular cleaning of settings !!

HermioneWeasley

Since this started care workers, food manufacturing and supermarket workers, people in pharmacies and the few businesses that have had to remain open to save lives and prevent starvation and riots, have had to get on with it.

and they have all put preventive measures in place.

Over this time the government has had a chance to formulate its guidance and organisations have had 2 months to put protocols in place

And it is piss poor.

the others had to make it up while operating at 100 miles and hour and 25% absence.

you say this like most schools haven't had to do the same.

I've worked in care homes and I've worked in schools. I've got this to say about coping with 25% absence.

If someone goes off sick in a care home, we used to pull the person off kitchen duty to help get people up. Any remaining cooking staff would work harder and the manager would often go in the kitchen. We'd all work longer, quicker, harder, have shorter breaks. Care staff would do less making of beds and cleaning staff would do a bit more. We'd be asked to stay behind a couple of hours at the end of our shift and maybe come in an extra day. We'd not do the "extras" like baths or activities. Writing up at the end of the shift would be very basic.

If a teacher goes off sick, the remaining teachers can't teach more students by teaching faster. They can't fit another class in by working through their break. They can't stay on after their shift has finished to take a few extra classes. There is very little room to make up the slack. You can call in cover teachers, but then you are into budgeting issues and a potential lack of availability there. My point is, we, the teachers, can't do anything about it. We can't just make do with less. We can do what we do at the pace we do it.

blubellsarebells
They only wear ppe when doing personal care or working with confirmed cases.

Not entirely true. I know several people that are in PPE all day in a care home.

Since we are shifting to all round mask wearing anyway, there would be huge benefits to see through masks for schools and care homes in particular. We do need to see faces to communicate properly.

There are lots of online instructions to make your own and as they catch on they will become more available hopefully.

www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-thursday-edition-1.5559642/this-doctor-is-giving-out-clear-face-masks-for-hearing-impaired-patients-1.5557928

@HorsesDoovers you clearly have never been in a care home. All those things happen and worse. Spitting , hitting etc .

If I were a HT, I’d take that guidance and then ask my staff whether they want PPE. I’d fully support them wearing whatever they want. The kids would adapt.

I remember emptying a spittoon once. I was carrying it downstairs and then the person in front of me stopped abruptly.

Worst day of my life.

Spittoon. I’d forgotten that word!

you say this like most schools haven't had to do the same.

So what about the builders who have been in your school reconfiguring classrooms.

The plumbers fitting extra toilets so kids ca socially distance.

Millions of people in the uk have been at work while school staff have been off. Many of them at much higher risk of contracting something which isn’t really a risk to 99.9% of us anyway.

Why the school staff drama? I genuinely don’t get it

Somebody will come along in a minute to tell you they haven’t been off. My school isn’t off. They average 4 kids a day and they are working harder than ever.

Here I am 😂. Our school has 45 children in plus we visit vulnerable children weekly at home and deliver packed lunches daily all around our town to free school meals children. I'm in everyday already. Work is not the problem it's too many extra children in for safety.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/parenting/children-face-masks-uk-government-18233149

Have you got a sewing machine? First lesson - let's all make facemasks together. For us & our parents & grandparents...