Workman in house no mask

[JC17fj74]

We have a workman in the house and he hasn't got a mask on 😕
I'm really surprised and when I said to him about it he said he ha had Covid last year and has his jab. That doesn't stop him spreading it though and now I'm really anxious staying in another room while he works.
Has anyone had anyone in there house with no mask on while doing work?
Maybe I'm being over cautious 🤷🏻‍♀️

Exactly, medical staff are up close with their patients, they need to wear ppe. How can you compare that with a plumber, painter glazier, cleaner etc. No one needs to be anywhere near a service provider. You can ventilate a house, doors and windows open the whole time. There is really no need to be wearing a mask. Just keep out of their way.

Even if you stay 2 metres away from an unmasked tradesman for the whole time he is in your house, the potentially infected aerosol he breathes out will most certainly not stay in a neat two metre cloud around him.
It will waft gently through your house, which is an enclosed space. And you will breathe it in.
If he is there all day, exhaling an average 6 litres of air a minute, that’s nearly 3,000 litres that have passed through his infected lungs. While that might safely disperse outdoors, it is far more concentrated in an enclosed building. And that is why he should be wearing a mask.

Yes and I am shielding and very cautious and I told him so!!! I was fuming!!

I've had an Open Reach engineer in and asked him to wear a mask no problem ..my Tesco delivery men always wear masks without me mentioning it.
If i can do 3x back to back house cleans for people, wearing a mask throughout, i dont see a problem in tradesmen doing it in my house.

@Babdoc

Even if you stay 2 metres away from an unmasked tradesman for the whole time he is in your house, the potentially infected aerosol he breathes out will most certainly not stay in a neat two metre cloud around him. It will waft gently through your house, which is an enclosed space. And you will breathe it in. If he is there all day, exhaling an average 6 litres of air a minute, that’s nearly 3,000 litres that have passed through his infected lungs. While that might safely disperse outdoors, it is far more concentrated in an enclosed building. And that is why he should be wearing a mask.

I guess when you are a teacher like my dh or a student like dd and Ds the risk of Covid from a workman in another room with an open window pales into insignificance compared to being in an unventilated classroom with 20 odd others all day singing and dancing.

We’ve just had work done on the house. About 6 work men I total, ALL wore masks for the whole two weeks, no issues at all. Also dh and I wore masks if we in the same room as them.
They also had the front door and windows open for most of the time!

Several are married to nurses so they know the risks of Covid and follow the rules!

My teenage ds spent two school days sitting beside someone in class who had covid. No masks had to be worn. He had the sense to open the window beside him during that time. He went and got tested after finding out about the positive case, negative. People need to apply some common sense to the situation.

How can you expect him to work whilst being slowly suffocated. If you are so scared that you need people to wear a bit of cloth over the airways maybe you should just not have work done until you can cope. He has had the jab, he's had covid. What are the chances truly of you catching anything off him. Get a grip fgs.

How are we going to get on top of this virus when people are thinking this sort of stuff?. And at a time when France and Italy are experiencing new waves.

Whilst being slowly suffocated - for heaven's sake - surgeons have always worked for hours and hours on their feet doing difficult tasks - and amazingly, they do not suffocate.

What are the chances truly of you catching anything off him. - well the answer is that we do not know precisely. But what we do know is that there IS a risk - difficult to quantify, but definitely there. It is important that people do wear masks as it has been shown that it reduces aerosol spread. Why would you not want that to happen?

We will never get on top of this if people do not take it seriously. I am sure we all feel that it has gone on long enough and we want it to stop as soon as possible. But that will only happen if people take the proper steps.

@Babdoc

Even if you stay 2 metres away from an unmasked tradesman for the whole time he is in your house, the potentially infected aerosol he breathes out will most certainly not stay in a neat two metre cloud around him. It will waft gently through your house, which is an enclosed space. And you will breathe it in. If he is there all day, exhaling an average 6 litres of air a minute, that’s nearly 3,000 litres that have passed through his infected lungs. While that might safely disperse outdoors, it is far more concentrated in an enclosed building. And that is why he should be wearing a mask.

Thank goodness we have some knowledgeable folk around on MN. If only folk would think of the science behind transmission. Most of us want life to get back to normal as soon as possible. But the selfishness of so many means it is taking such a long time to reach that point. These threads have certainly been an eye opener.

@Babdoc

Even if you stay 2 metres away from an unmasked tradesman for the whole time he is in your house, the potentially infected aerosol he breathes out will most certainly not stay in a neat two metre cloud around him. It will waft gently through your house, which is an enclosed space. And you will breathe it in. If he is there all day, exhaling an average 6 litres of air a minute, that’s nearly 3,000 litres that have passed through his infected lungs. While that might safely disperse outdoors, it is far more concentrated in an enclosed building. And that is why he should be wearing a mask.

Unless you live in a hermetically sealed box I'm pretty sure you could help mitigate this risk by opening the windows. Where do you think the mask breath goes? They say on the packet they don't stop viruses.

dividedwefall

How can you expect him to work whilst being slowly suffocated.

Doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants manage to. It’s not easy but it’s life at the moment. Apart from medical exemption we need to all just suck it up and get in with it.

I insist on it. I say that they can take as many breaks as needed and that I know the work might take longer, but it’s a requirement. I also state beforehand, to the company, that I need people who are able to wear masks if they are in the house with us.

It doesn't bother me. We've had workmen here constantly for 6 months doing an extension. I wouldn't like to work all day with a mask on so don't expect them to.

There are a lot of things we would not like - and indeed do not like - about the current situation, but needs must.

If I can jog in a mask and NHS staff can wear them all day then I'm sure tradesmen can work in a mask.

Wouldn’t bother me. Ive had various people in the whole way through. Workmen, my son’s carers, my daughters music teacher has been when kids are in school. If I was worried though I’d either not have them in or insist they wore a mask, it’s your house,

@megletthesecond

If I can jog in a mask and NHS staff can wear them all day then I'm sure tradesmen can work in a mask.

Why the hell are you jogging in a mask? You might be able to do it physically but it is not good for your health!

I would expect them to turn up and enter my house with a mask on, as a sign of respect to me and my home. I would also wear one when letting them in or having to talk to them where the work is being done and would expect one to be worn then too.

However, while they were working I would then be in a different room over 2m away so would remove mine and not be bothered if they did the same.

divided because it all kicks off when joggers go round the park anywhere near people. So if the paths get busy I pop my mask on. I don't have the patience to be grumbled at. I only wear one around people.

@megletthesecond

If I can jog in a mask and NHS staff can wear them all day then I'm sure tradesmen can work in a mask.

Why are you jogging in a mask? Totally ridiculous. There are only 2 reasons people are wearing masks outside, unless they are popping in and out of shops. Either they are in an anxious state induced by the wall to wall doom and gloom of the past year, or they are a virtue signalling arse.

Rude and unnecessary RaspberryCoulis

@Jellykat

Rude and unnecessary RaspberryCoulis

But completely accurate

I wear a mask, open windows and sanitise hands.
I'd say 9/10, the masks, steam my specs and aid in sweating heavily, on occasion I do pull them down to relive this.
I always ask the customer to stay in another room until I'm done.
There's no comparison to a surgeons pace and intensity of work and a trade in a confined space such as bathroom. Especially in a warm or over heated property.

Masks are a nuisance but a necessity.

That's another reason I won't wear a mask in other peoples homes. Trying to do a job in 27 degree heat is just unbearable.

Just stay out of the way.

I’ve had quite a lot of workmen in the house, new fitted wardrobes, new lighting, new bathroom and ive not asked any to wear a mask. I have worn one when they arrive, past that I stay away from them and then discinfect surfaces /loo when they leave. I’d not expect them to work wearing a mask.

@Jellykat

Rude and unnecessary RaspberryCoulis

I think the phrase harsh but true is more appropriate.