Is wearing a visor as good as wearing a mask?

[ssd]

I noticed at the weekend retail staff were mainly wearing visors rather than masks. One told me a visor is better to wear for 8 hours rather than a mask.

BUT is a visor as good as a mask?

Are the staff putting themselves at risk just wearing visors?

At work we wear masks all the time, and then wear visors if working with someone with 'poor respiratory hygiene', in close proximity. We have been told that the visor adds an extra layer of protection rather than being able to be used on its own.

Absolutely pointless and do nothing

They are designed to stop droplets entering the eyes. They are only to be used with a mask

On there own they do nothing and shouldn't be allowed.

It sounds like a mask is better than a visor then. I wonder retailers aren't looking at this more closely? Surely there must be government advice they can pass onto the staff?

I'm in retail, I wear a visor for a few reasons. It's more comfortable to have on all day. I believe it's more welcoming for customers to see my face, not hidden behind a mask and customers can hear me more clearly. All of our interactions are done behind a Perspex screen anyway so the visor is only belt and braces and there for the few moments when I am not behind a screen.

Surely there must be government advice they can pass onto the staff?

At the hairdresser they told me they were were following government guidance by wearing a visor only.

My hairdresser said the same! Mm I don’t want to go back now. I took my daughter today so was very quick trim but mine is 3 hours worth..
if I wore a mask would that be better then or they still need a mask and visor?

No. They give virtually no protection at all. Nurses wear then with a mask as well. They only protect from splashes.

@Stellaris22

I work in a food store and switched to a visor. I wear glasses and have tried everything (soap on lenses, nose wire on mask etc) but my glasses still fog up after continued use. I wear a mask when shopping but at work the visor is the only workable option. But as masks are mandatory for shoppers I do feel safer.

Actually masks are not mandatory. A 'face covering' is all that's required. I have chosen visor over mask when I go to the shops. I realise lots of people on here will tell me it's not as good. Jury is out on that and anyway, for me, it's visor or lanyard. I've found a solution that works and is within the guidelines.

DH is hairdresser. The government advice is that hairdressers must wear visors. They can choose to wear masks also but it’s the visors that are mandatory. Unfortunately DH finds they distort the view when looking down cutting hair (maybe it’s just his make of mask) and would probably prefer to wear mask only for that reason.

I wear a visor at work, i doubt its doing anything other than giving a false sense of security.
I wouldn't be able to do my job wearing a mask. Even a visor hinders communication in a noisy environment.

No on certain calls if they're new or someone's just come out of hospital we have to wear masks and visors, or masks and goggles for 14 days. Otherwise it's just masks. Tbh I'm pleased we don't have to wear visors all the time cos they give me a massive headache

The z visor looks good, thanks.

Visors are good for staff when customers need to lip read. And when you're behind a Perspex screen, a lot more people are needing to look at the staff members mouth to understand what's being said.

Exactly why I am not going to a hairdresser again until there is a vaccine.

As others have said, visor only is the Government directive for hairdressers but IMHO this needs to be changed to mandatory mask with optional visor.

As customer is below level of hairdresser, their visor in effect, acts like a funnel, channeling down their respiratory secretions to whatever is below them - namely, their customer!

Visor may be ok if we all stood up to have our hair cut but mask would be better!

As I understand it...

masks protect others by absorbing droplets you breathe out (unless it’s one of the valve masks which are likely to be banned outside of health settings because they let exhaled air out unfiltered)

Visors protect your eyes from droplets others breathe out, they don’t stop your droplets going towards others unless it is fully enclosed.

So hairdresser with only visor could easily breathe droplets on to you not envy