Employer forces us to wear face visor after July 19th and its affecting my health

lisyloo

Are you sure your employer is forcing exempt employees to mask/visor up.

there are loads of shops that day things like
Absolutely no entry without a mask (unless exempt)

Tokmon

Brie said:

TELLIT01 said:

I was talking to somebody recently who has breathing problems.  He can't wear a mask but gets on fine with a visor.  I think the OP is suffering a psychological problem which they are going to have to deal with.  A visor has no direct effect on the ability to breathe.

Visors can have an effect on the ability to breathe.  you don't get the same clear air flow over your face and you do get condensation building up.  It's quite possible that there's also psychological issue but that is separate to the effect of wearing the  visor itself. 

fyi - they also make it difficult to see things and I end up having to lift mine to read anything when I'm shopping.  

That's incorrect. There is no effect on the ability to breath from using a visor and no negative effect to breathing from wearing a mask. 

Any issues you have are psychological and the fact that you perceive them to restrict your breathing is what is causing the issue. I'm not trying to downplay psychological issues because they are very real things but it's important to know that physically visors and masks cause no issues and think they do will only make your psychological issues even worse.

briskbeats

Tokmon said:

Brie said:

TELLIT01 said:

I was talking to somebody recently who has breathing problems.  He can't wear a mask but gets on fine with a visor.  I think the OP is suffering a psychological problem which they are going to have to deal with.  A visor has no direct effect on the ability to breathe.

Visors can have an effect on the ability to breathe.  you don't get the same clear air flow over your face and you do get condensation building up.  It's quite possible that there's also psychological issue but that is separate to the effect of wearing the  visor itself. 

fyi - they also make it difficult to see things and I end up having to lift mine to read anything when I'm shopping.  

That's incorrect. There is no effect on the ability to breath from using a visor and no negative effect to breathing from wearing a mask. 

Any issues you have are psychological and the fact that you perceive them to restrict your breathing is what is causing the issue. I'm not trying to downplay psychological issues because they are very real things but it's important to know that physically visors and masks cause no issues and think they do will only make your psychological issues even worse.

Hmm explain why I am prescribed stronger asthma medication plus additional ones since last July?

jackieblack

TELLIT01 said:

I was talking to somebody recently who has breathing problems.  He can't wear a mask but gets on fine with a visor.  I think the OP is suffering a psychological problem which they are going to have to deal with.  A visor has no direct effect on the ability to breathe.

And offers no protection from airborne particles  unless worn in combination with a mask 

Brie

Tokmon said:

Brie said:

Visors can have an effect on the ability to breathe.  you don't get the same clear air flow over your face and you do get condensation building up.  It's quite possible that there's also psychological issue but that is separate to the effect of wearing the  visor itself. 

fyi - they also make it difficult to see things and I end up having to lift mine to read anything when I'm shopping.  

That's incorrect. There is no effect on the ability to breath from using a visor and no negative effect to breathing from wearing a mask. 

Any issues you have are psychological and the fact that you perceive them to restrict your breathing is what is causing the issue. I'm not trying to downplay psychological issues because they are very real things but it's important to know that physically visors and masks cause no issues and think they do will only make your psychological issues even worse.

Hmm.  So if it's a proven fact that breathing cooler air is easier and this can be facilitated by clear air flow then it's just logical that something that prevents this clear flow could inhibit the ease of breathing.  

I'm quite willing to admit I've got a whole barge full of issues about all sorts of things and am reasonably certain that it is some sort of daft psychological mind game that makes it impossible for me to wear a mask.  Wearing a visor is much easier but is becomes difficult in hot humid weather.  Which is why I don't ever plan on living in the tropics and don't like steam rooms but I'm certain there's a physiological rather than psychological reason. 

I'm glad that you are able to wear a mask and I really appreciate those around me that do.  Likewise I hope that those that cannot or will not wear a mask or a visor appreciate me making the effort of wearing a visor and ensuring I keep my distance.

Tokmon

briskbeats said:

Tokmon said:

Brie said:

TELLIT01 said:

I was talking to somebody recently who has breathing problems.  He can't wear a mask but gets on fine with a visor.  I think the OP is suffering a psychological problem which they are going to have to deal with.  A visor has no direct effect on the ability to breathe.

Visors can have an effect on the ability to breathe.  you don't get the same clear air flow over your face and you do get condensation building up.  It's quite possible that there's also psychological issue but that is separate to the effect of wearing the  visor itself. 

fyi - they also make it difficult to see things and I end up having to lift mine to read anything when I'm shopping.  

That's incorrect. There is no effect on the ability to breath from using a visor and no negative effect to breathing from wearing a mask. 

Any issues you have are psychological and the fact that you perceive them to restrict your breathing is what is causing the issue. I'm not trying to downplay psychological issues because they are very real things but it's important to know that physically visors and masks cause no issues and think they do will only make your psychological issues even worse.

Hmm explain why I am prescribed stronger asthma medication plus additional ones since last July?

"Strong emotions and stress are well known triggers of asthma"

You obviously strongly believe that wearing a mask will cause you breathing difficulties and make your asthma worse. 
So when you wear a mask I'm sure those thoughts trigger an emotional response and make you stressed which in turn makes your asthma worse which required you have stronger medicaiton.

https://www.aafa.org/emotions-stress-depression.aspx

juraj.kecso

I think the OP is talking about a difficulty wearing a visor or a face shield rather than wearing a mask. However, I struggle to understand how wearing a piece of plastic a couple of inches away from your face would be aggravating your asthma. There is no physical barrier covering your mouth.

With the freedom day, businesses were also given the freedom to set their own rules on wearing masks (provided that they sought legal advice). A good example is TfL.

A requirement to wear a face mask if you are an employee of a supermarket and work on the shop floor around members of the public does not seem unreasonable as the aim is to protect yourself and others from contracting Covid.

Employees have the responsibility to share that they may have an exemption and must be able to provide a reasonable justification as to why their disability or medical condition prevents them from wearing a face covering or any other PPE; Employees cannot refuse to wear a face covering other than for the reasons outlined under exemption rules. For example, an employee cannot refuse to wear a face covering due to religious beliefs or personal opinions about face coverings.

Some employees might be exempt from wearing a face covering or find it hard to do so because of a disability or condition. However, employers still have a duty to ensure that all adjustments are considered and that supportive conversations take place between an employee and their manager. For some employees, this could be the first time they are telling an employer about a disability or condition.

It is very important that employers explore the current situation. How long has the employee been working in their current role and been required to wear a face mask? What has changed? Why can’t they wear it any more?

 Any adjustments or support provided should remove the barrier preventing an employee from wearing a face covering. Examples of adjustments might include changing the material that the face covering is made of, as certain materials can cause irritation or allergies. It might be an adjustment to limit the hours that the employee spends in a customer facing role. This might mean assigning them to other duties where wearing a face covering is not required. 

If wearing a face covering is not possible at all, is there any alternative PPE that can be used instead, such as in your case a face shield?

Employers may also need to consider Occupational Health referral for any advice re PPE or other reasonable adjustments that should be considered.

 If all reasonable adjustments in place within the current role do not remove the barriers experienced by the employee and nothing further would help remove the remaining barriers, redeployment to a different role should be considered if possible.

Following on from these steps, if it is unsustainable to redeploy the employee, and all reasonable adjustments have been explored and exhausted, then a formal process under your employer's capability procedure may be appropriate to pursue. This could also include dismissal due to medical capability.

Tokmon

Brie said:

Tokmon said:

Brie said:

Visors can have an effect on the ability to breathe.  you don't get the same clear air flow over your face and you do get condensation building up.  It's quite possible that there's also psychological issue but that is separate to the effect of wearing the  visor itself. 

fyi - they also make it difficult to see things and I end up having to lift mine to read anything when I'm shopping.  

That's incorrect. There is no effect on the ability to breath from using a visor and no negative effect to breathing from wearing a mask. 

Any issues you have are psychological and the fact that you perceive them to restrict your breathing is what is causing the issue. I'm not trying to downplay psychological issues because they are very real things but it's important to know that physically visors and masks cause no issues and think they do will only make your psychological issues even worse.

Hmm.  So if it's a proven fact that breathing cooler air is easier and this can be facilitated by clear air flow then it's just logical that something that prevents this clear flow could inhibit the ease of breathing.  

I'm quite willing to admit I've got a whole barge full of issues about all sorts of things and am reasonably certain that it is some sort of daft psychological mind game that makes it impossible for me to wear a mask.  Wearing a visor is much easier but is becomes difficult in hot humid weather.  Which is why I don't ever plan on living in the tropics and don't like steam rooms but I'm certain there's a physiological rather than psychological reason. 

I'm glad that you are able to wear a mask and I really appreciate those around me that do.  Likewise I hope that those that cannot or will not wear a mask or a visor appreciate me making the effort of wearing a visor and ensuring I keep my distance.

That is correct that masks do inhibit ease of breathing but only by a small amount. Maybe i worded it wrong by saying "no negative effect to breathing" and should have specified i meant there is no negative effect as in your body not getting enough oxygen for example. Breathing in slightly less oxygen doesn't have any negative effect on the body because there is far more oxygen in the air than needed anyway.

I'm not trying to downplay any psychological issues that prevent someone from wearing a mask and I'm not saying someone should wear a mask. I'm just trying to explain how there is no physical issue to wearing one so if someone is able they shouldn't worry about wearing it and if they aren't able then knowing the facts can only be a good thing in my opinion.

Carrot007

Tokmon said:

I'm not trying to downplay any psychological issues that prevent someone from wearing a mask and I'm not saying someone should wear a mask. I'm just trying to explain how there is no physical issue

Severe eczema can happen in some poeple with masks. I would call that a physical issue.

Brie

juraj.kecso said:

I think the OP is talking about a difficulty wearing a visor or a face shield rather than wearing a mask. However, I struggle to understand how wearing a piece of plastic a couple of inches away from your face would be aggravating your asthma. There is no physical barrier covering your mouth.  I agree but having the plastic surrounding one's face does make it hot and moist and that can cause issues.

Employees have the responsibility to share that they may have an exemption and must be able to provide a reasonable justification as to why their disability or medical condition prevents them from wearing a face covering or any other PPE;
I doubt that many people who have been restrained, gagged, or otherwise violated will want to have a chat with their employer about the experience beyond saying "I have a strong issue with wearing that due to something that happened in the past."

 Employees cannot refuse to wear a face covering other than for the reasons outlined under exemption rules. Any rules I've seen are just so vague that they seem pointless.  

Some points above....but I agree that adjustments need to be considered including restricting time when a face covering might be required.  I would hope that it wouldn't get to the point of dismissal and would think that there would be a major backlash about this in the current circumstances. 

Obviously this would be very different if one was working in emergency medicine and refused to be masked while operating or similar - but that is something of long standing and one wouldn't go into that sort of work without accepting that PPE was mandatory.  Someone getting a job in Tescos or an office 10 years back would never have expected to be in this situation.