[quote 10storeylovesong]@itsgettingweird police in Manchester were told for about 3 hours to wear masks in cars tigether, until they realised how many masks that would require. We were also told to change them every 2 hours until, again, the cost arose and it became every 6 hours. We started to fit officers for ffp3 masks until we realised how many were failing the fit test and scrapped them. They never made the streets. Officers are currently being pulled in on their rest days to sit in carriers with 6-7 officers at a time to attend covid breaches.
My niece is a mental health nurse. Patients on those wards are known for respecting social distancing, not spitting or fighting, and following guidelines. She caught it on the ward, so hopefully has some immunity now.
My DH is a community mental health worker. He has been provided with masks and is encouraged to wear them. However he works with teenagers, and the mental health crisis has sharply risen. He works for a crisis team and attends when the teens feel suicidal. They will not engage with people wearing masks so he makes the decision (with their parents consent) to not wear them a lot of the time. Yes, that's his choice and I understand that's different, but what a decision that is - wear a mask to protect yourself and walk away knowing you haven't done the best to protect that young person, or do your job to the best of your ability?
My dad who is 65 works in a factory. He has been in work throughout the pandemic. He has no PPE and no measures put in place. He is currently working in conditions which are 40 degrees plus, so they've put a load of fans in to blow the stale hot air around.
Again, I'm not racing to the bottom.. A lot of my friends are teachers and I know how worried they are, and fully support any measures to ease their concern and keep them safe. But please stop throwing around the fact that all professions apart from teachers are protected, as it is blatantly not true.[/quote]
Way to misinterpret what I said.
If you read back I said it's odd how devolved nations seemed to vary in rules for different public sector departments.
Then went on to thank the poster for support they'd given me and note I know they are to be trusted in what they say.
As I'm neither an officer or a teacher I literally have no procession race to the bottom to be had with either profession.
I am sorry though that your health and safety was placed as a lower priority due to cost. That is wrong imo.
I've said it loads of times but I thinks it's a disgrace the government will pay for people to eat out but refuse a budget for protective equipment for public facing civil servants.