Ridiculous inconsistent mask wearing rules in shops....

[Derbygerbil]

So, if I’m a member of the public, I need to wear a mask (if I can). If I’m a member of staff, I don’t, and can move around shouting to other staff members and make limited, if any, attempts to socially distance. At least, that was my experience in Waitrose the other day.

I’m personally not overly concerned about masks in supermarkets as I think the risk is pretty low, but surely either:

a) the risk is negligible enough that masks don’t need to be mandated in shops;

Or

b) the risks are significant enough for masks to be mandated (for those that can) by those moving around the shop floor.

Shop workers aren’t immune from having the virus. In fact, given they work as a team that doesn’t seem to socially distance, their risk of being infected would seem higher than a formerly shielded shopper who’s trying to be ultra careful.

Moving large, heavy cages full of alcohol or soft drinks. Carrying said heavy items up/down aisles while customers take their time browsing and acting like you don't exist.

It's not construction work, sure, but it's a lot harder than the average customer realises.

Staff regularly get back issues, even when physically very fit.

Supermarket workers wearing masks while pushing pallets about and climbing ladders is an accident waiting to happen. Especially when the Christmas rush starts.

So if you'd only expect them to be worn on the shop floor ( as per above, can't copy and paste or quote) then wouldn't you be bothered by the possible spread between staff in the warehouse?. All or nothing surely is the way forward. Hopefully staff will be social distancing but it's not always possible.
Looks like it'll be mandatory from now on. The massive amounts of customers not wearing on is a big issue in my locality too.

@ksohh0

Honestly most people's 'valid reasons' for not wearing a mask aren't good enough. Doctor's exemptions only please.

There's no such thing as a 'doctor's exemption'.

So if you'd only expect them to be worn on the shop floor ( as per above, can't copy and paste or quote) then wouldn't you be bothered by the possible spread between staff in the warehouse?

I was trying to be conciliatory and recognise that it would be a bit much wearing them all the time especially for the warehouse type roles. Staff working in an environment together don’t usually have to wear masks, not yet at least. My issue was with the lack of consistency in mask wearing rules in the aisles, nothing else.

Looks like it'll be mandatory from now on. The massive amounts of customers not wearing on is a big issue in my locality too.

I still find it fascinating that some areas are poor and others have pretty much 100% compliance. In my local town, it’s approaching 50% who wear
them in the street between shops and compliance is 100%!

But then we have 3 cases per 100,000... It seems the areas with less mask wearing in shops have much higher levels of infection. There seems to be a correlation. It’s probably not that they’re catching it in shops, but they’re generally non-compliant for whatever reason.

Supermarket workers wearing masks while pushing pallets about and climbing ladders is an accident waiting to happen. Especially when the Christmas rush starts.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a supermarket worker climb a ladder on the shop floor!

@HeIenaDove

Supermarket workers wearing masks while pushing pallets about and climbing ladders is an accident waiting to happen. Especially when the Christmas rush starts.

I have a friend who works in demolition, hard manual graft and obviously wears a mask all day to protect his lungs from all the crap old building are full of. Interestingly he and his colleagues aren't all dropping dead, fainting and causing accidents all over the place. And before anyone says those madks are different... theyre not, they're hot and swesty and tight.

Well it's going to be a pain in the arse to be honest.

With the extension of who has to wear a face covering there really needs to be a nationwide publicity campaign in every language on how to wear a mask correctly. About 40% of people wearing a mask in town this morning only wore them covering their mouths but not noses. Totally pointless, one person even removed their mask to sneeze then replaced it!!

@redbushtea

There is no real evidence that masks offer any protection. The virus would easily pass through the fabric of the mask.

There’s plenty of real evidence that they do offer protection. The virus doesn’t have little legs pushing it through the fabric, it exists in droplets which don’t pass through the mask.

www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-07-08-oxford-covid-19-study-face-masks-and-coverings-work-act-now#

www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent

med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/06/stanford-scientists-contribute-to-who-mask-guidelines.html

@CarrieBlue have you ever sneezed in a mask?

Droplets come straight out

Droplets come straight out

Gross as it might be, a mask will clearly catch most droplets - it clearly won’t be dry post sneeze! If fabric/paper was completely useless as catching droplets, we would have tissues!

wouldn’t have tissues

[quote yawnsvillex]@CarrieBlue have you ever sneezed in a mask?

Droplets come straight out [/quote]
Yes I have, many times. What mask are you wearing where actual physical droplets are coming out of them?

An absolutely outrageous, but totally expected, decision

Mission creep in action

Compulsory in pubs and restaurants too when not sat down

It’s completely bonkers

[quote yawnsvillex]@CarrieBlue have you ever sneezed in a mask?

Droplets come straight out [/quote]
Even if they ‘come straight out’ they don’t travel as far as if you had sneezed without using a tissue. So, if you are socially distancing, the droplets won’t reach you. If you can’t socially distance, you will receive fewer droplets so a lower viral load.

Warehouse staff, on floor click and collect and warehouse click and collect staff all now have to wear masks. When you do hundreds of orders per night it is a bit annoying, I must say.

@AlecTrevelyan006

Other European countries have had this rule with no problem.

And we never see customers! We do sanitise hands before sending your postal order tho!

Compulsory in pubs and restaurants too when not sat down

Lots of pubs near me have had this rule in place since they reopened in July.

@PennyDreadfuI

Compulsory in pubs and restaurants too when not sat down

Lots of pubs near me have had this rule in place since they reopened in July.

Both McDonald's near me also have this rule. They seem to manage long shifts in a hot environment in them.

I am majorly pissed off. I struggle to wear a mask doing my shopping. Now I'll have to wear one for 7 hours a day (as I assume things will be the same after New Year when I go back from maternity).
Walking miles a day, picking shopping in a near impossible time limit is hard and it's only people who have never done it who think otherwise. I wonder how many people on here in favour of it actually have to wear a mask for hours on end.

Completely agree with you OP, it seems Boris does too, do you think he read your thread?!!

Walking miles a day, picking shopping in a near impossible time limit is hard and it's only people who have never done it who think otherwise. I wonder how many people on here in favour of it actually have to wear a mask for hours on end.

Me, I'm a nurse. Its not ideal but you soon get used to it.