Options for Meter Reader?

justinjustice

Asking on behalf of a family member -
He is a meter reader that requires entering peoples property to perform his job. 60 years of age, no real underlying health conditions that could be a cause of concern however he lives with and is one of the main primary care for a family member who has special needs, whom is in his mid 60s and has had suspected Covid during the early stages of the first lockdown.
He is also a secondary carer to his mother in her late 90's and visits her on a daily basis to attend to her needs.
Since the announcement of the 2nd lockdown, living in an area that has very high infection rates at present and one of his recent colleagues being diagnosed with Covid and taken to hospital, he no longer feels safe at work.
He has asked his employer for options on leave however they have stated that Government guidelines stipulate no exemptions for him however they may be able to provide 3 weeks off as a maximum, will be looked at case by case.
What are his options? Could he request to be furloughed until Covid infections rates drop?

Mrsn

His options are what the employer has already given. Furlough I’m sorry to say is not appropriate in the circumstances, as there is quite clearly work to be done.

Grumpy_chap

The lockdown rules allow people to attend others houses to do work in the house.  That would include meter reader.
As a meter reader, I assume he is not in close contact with householders.  He can wear PPE, face mask, gloves, etc.  He can social distance from the householder.

Or some kind of leave, which is likely to be unpaid.  I can't see that furlough would cover the situation.

With regard to the mother, I can only assume she will very soon receive the jab.

With regard to the family member in the same household, having already had COVID, does that give any immunity?  Or indication that the severity would be less than it is for some?

What arrangements were in place for the first lockdown?

poppy12345

Being a carer to a vulnerable person is not a good enough reason not to go into work. There's been plenty of people that worked all through lockdown 1 and lived with vulnerable people but they were kept safe the whole time, Infact, some of those members post on here.

Maybe able to take 3 weeks off could be the best he'll get although this could be unpaid leave.

Sorry but you can enter peoples houses and still keep yourself and others safe. As a meter reader you are litterally in the house a matter of minutes.

justinjustice

During the first lock down the whole company was furloughed.
I guess due to his colleague catching Covid has made him far more insecure and highly stressed...

GDB2222

justinjustice said:

During the first lock down the whole company was furloughed.
I guess due to his colleague catching Covid has made him far more insecure and highly stressed...

I think your friend is right to be concerned. The new variant virus is much more easily transmitted, and the precautions that have worked quite well until now for him may not be sufficient with the new version. 

If possible, he should stop work. If he can’t afford that I think he should not continue to care for his mum. These are tough times, and tough choices. 

MattMattMattUK

His options are unfortunately those stated above, largely work, or lose his job, that does not mean that he can not take extra protective measures which could hugely mitigate his risk of becoming infected. It is more likely that the colleague was infected by a friend over family membe than by a customer.

Whilst entering other people's houses does pose a small risk, for washing, meter reader the risk is very low due to the method of interaction, the homeowner is unlikely to get particularly close or for a sustained period, they are unlikely to have recently handled the meter, or coughed all over it and there is no requirement for them to even be in the same room.

If he wishes to go down that route then a good mask (not face covering) to or above FFP3 would be a good start, goggles/eye protectors may provide some additional mitigation, but only if he was entering a particular high risk location so probably not needed. Proper hand sanitation will likely be key, a combination of a high alcohol percentage hand sanitiser and gloves would reduce what little risk exists even further. 

Apintplease

I would suggest that many a homeowner is just as worried about a stranger in their home as he is going in

Most meters are surely outside nowadays?

However, if I were him, I would buy myself the best mask available, tuck the old sanitiser in the pocket and buy a packet of wipes ( real cheap in Lidl - about 70p for 100 ) then give the receipt to the employer. The employer has to provide PPE.

When knocking on the door and gaining entry, it is perfectly acceptable to ask the home owner to step back and give you the 2metres space. I would think if a meter is not outside its in the hall or under the stairs so a householder can easily walk up the stairs and keep a beady eye if they are that concerned 

The_Fat_Controller

@Apintplease, outside meters for newer builds but there are millions of older homes with inside meters !

poppy12345

Apintplease said:

Most meters are surely outside nowadays?

Some people may also have smart meters, so entering the home to read the meters wouldn't be needed. I have them.

HampshireH

poppy12345 said:

Apintplease said:

Most meters are surely outside nowadays?

Some people may also have smart meters, so entering the home to read the meters wouldn't be needed. I have them.

Surely he wouldn't be being sent to read a smart meter? Isn't that part of the point of them?