Returning to High Infection Risk Job with Vulnerable Person at Home - any options for staying home?

Digital_Dan

MadMattUK said:

Digital_Dan said:

Thrugelmir said:

Rather than jumping to conclusions. Your wife should be speaking to her employer. To asacertain what measures are being put in place. Likewise investigate what measures she needs to take to protect you upon returning from work. 

If somebody doesn't want to work they don't have to, though there's no obligation to be paid. 

She is talking to her employer, but so far she has not received any detail of what protection will be put into place. Prior to lockdown, she was advised by her employers that staff would be provided with PPE, but none ever materialised, and the staff were working without protection. Hence her concern that any promised protection may not be put into place. Even if she wears PPE, she still feels that she is at higher risk than she is comfortable with, hence my question.

Guidance for reopening has yet to be published by the General Optical Council, I suspect that they will not confirm anything until that has happened as it will give them a base to implement procedures. It would be much more complicated for an optician to develop their own guidelines, where the GOC can produce them with the advice of many experts. The GOC will likely recommend various levels of PPE for different procedures (eg one for examinations, another for general shop interaction) but this will probably be roughly in line with what dentists are required to do when it comes to examinations.

Thank you again.
Your reply is very much appreciated.

Digital_Dan

jazzyja said:

If the opticians are providing correct ppe for their employees and customers I dont think there should be much of a problem? I do understand your worry but also this virus isn't going away anytime soon. Its going to be a very long time before we can officially say its gone, if ever. Your wife will have to return eventually. Aslong as appropriate ppe is provided and they're doffing and donning correctly and taught to do so. 

Thank you.
As said earlier, she was promised PPE prior to lockdown but it never arrived. She was working in close proximity to potentially infected people. So, I fully understand and appreciate her concern about returning to work. As far as she is concerned, it is all about the balance of risk. My questions are asked on the basis that she decides not to return to work in the near future.

poppy12345

Lots of people have worked all through lockdown and they live with extremely vulnerable people. Your wife will have to take extra care and stick to strict hygiene rules when returning home from work. This will include removing the shoes she wore to work before entering your home, removing her clothes and putting them in the wash. Wiping all surfaces down that were touched and shower/bath before going anywhere near you. It can be done and people who post regular on here have continued to this with no harm done to the person they live with.

Digital_Dan

poppy12345 said:

Lots of people have worked all through lockdown and they live with extremely vulnerable people. Your wife will have to take extra care and stick to strict hygiene rules when returning home from work. This will include removing the shoes she wore to work before entering your home, removing her clothes and putting them in the wash. Wiping all surfaces down that were touched and shower/bath before going anywhere near you. It can be done and people who post regular on here have continued to this with no harm done to the person they live with.

Thank you.
I appreciate your comments.

[Deleted User]

Digital_Dan said:

I'm not sure there will be any "Covid secure" way of her working, though of course, the precautions you describe would minimise but not eliminate the risk of infection. 

Thanks again.

The term "Covid Secure" is largely a gimmick, it covers the health and safety procedures that companies have to comply with and operate under which is the context I am using it in for this situation. It does not mean zero risk of Covid-19 transmission, but it the risk assessments and changes to working practices via reasonable adjustments and PPE should significantly reduce the risks. The General Dental Council for example says that if the recommended procedures and the use of PPE is followed correctly the theoretical risk of transmission for patient to dentist, dental nurse or hygienist is reduced to around 1-in-10,000, from a theoretical 1-in-100 in a normal dentist working environment. That profession is also higher risk than an optician because they work directly in the patients mouth, where as an optician could be masked with the patient also masked, it would be possible to reduce the risk well above 1-in-10,000, your wife's risk of infection would be greater outside of work than at work. 

[Deleted User]

Digital_Dan said:

Thank you.
As said earlier, she was promised PPE prior to lockdown but it never arrived. She was working in close proximity to potentially infected people. So, I fully understand and appreciate her concern about returning to work. As far as she is concerned, it is all about the balance of risk. My questions are asked on the basis that she decides not to return to work in the near future.

This may have been because for the few weeks pre-lockdown it was almost impossible to get hold of, Amazon et al. sold out and wholesalers would only deal with existing customers. I suspect that you will find that the GOC will recommend fairly strict PPE and hygiene guidelines and I can't imagine any reputable optician would risk breaching them. 

Thrugelmir

Digital_Dan said:

Thrugelmir said:

Rather than jumping to conclusions. Your wife should be speaking to her employer. To asacertain what measures are being put in place. Likewise investigate what measures she needs to take to protect you upon returning from work. 

If somebody doesn't want to work they don't have to, though there's no obligation to be paid. 

No conclusions jumped to. She is talking to her employer, but so far she has not received any detail of what protection will be put into place. Prior to lockdown, she was advised by her employers that staff would be provided with PPE, but none ever materialised, and the staff were working without protection. Hence her concern that any promised protection may not be put into place. Even if she wears PPE, she still feels that she is at higher risk than she is comfortable with, hence my question.

Seems as if you are approaching the issue from the perspective of finding a reason for her not to return to work. 

sharpe106

Digital_Dan said:

calcotti said:

Digital_Dan said:..I suffer from several health problems and I am classified as 'vulnerable' and have been shielding as advised by the government.

You are not shielding unless you have received the 'shielding' letter informing you that you are extremely 

I did receive a letter advising me to shield.

Thanks for your answers, very much appreciated.

You answered your own question you received the letter not your partner. Her employer does not employ you. So it is not relevant to them. 
The government guidance quite clearly states if someone is shielding at home the other person can go to work. So the employer has to do nothing extra then they would for any other employee. 

Digital_Dan

MadMattUK said:

Digital_Dan said:

I'm not sure there will be any "Covid secure" way of her working, though of course, the precautions you describe would minimise but not eliminate the risk of infection. 

Thanks again.

The term "Covid Secure" is largely a gimmick, it covers the health and safety procedures that companies have to comply with and operate under which is the context I am using it in for this situation. It does not mean zero risk of Covid-19 transmission, but it the risk assessments and changes to working practices via reasonable adjustments and PPE should significantly reduce the risks. The General Dental Council for example says that if the recommended procedures and the use of PPE is followed correctly the theoretical risk of transmission for patient to dentist, dental nurse or hygienist is reduced to around 1-in-10,000, from a theoretical 1-in-100 in a normal dentist working environment. That profession is also higher risk than an optician because they work directly in the patients mouth, where as an optician could be masked with the patient also masked, it would be possible to reduce the risk well above 1-in-10,000, your wife's risk of infection would be greater outside of work than at work. 

Thank you yet again.

A very helpful and informative reply, much appreciated.

unforeseen

To put things into perspective. I am shielding. My wife works in a care home where the risk is orders of magnitude greater than it will ever be in an opticians. 
All that is needed is for the person who works to stringently follow the guidance that the government publish and as Poppy12345 mentions. 
I've been shielding and the wife had carried on working from the first day of lockdown. It can be done and it just becomes another routine.