LTB 025/2021 - Royal Mail Group Introduction of New Branded Reusable/Washable Cotton Face Masks

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-qllkihd-jtfljuhyd-k/

LTB 025/2021 - Royal Mail Group Introduction of New Branded Reusable/Washable Cotton Face Masks

No. 025/2021

26 January 2021

Our Ref: E1/21

To: All Branches



Dear Colleagues,

Royal Mail Group Introduction of New Branded Reusable/Washable Cotton Face Masks:

Introduction

The wearing of face coverings/masks has shown to protect the wearer and those around them from Coronavirus/Covid-19 transmission and infection and against the backdrop of a rapidly increasing infection rate and the number of virus deaths. That is why Royal Mail Group made it mandatory for all employees to wear face coverings when working indoors unless an individual has a legitimate exception. A joint statement supporting the mandatory introduction of face coverings/masks was signed by Royal Mail Group and the CWU on 9 November 2020. Since that time the Health, Safety and Environment Department has continually pressed Royal Mail Group to improve the level of compliance with the mandatory standard and to improve the quality of face masks.

Background

Government Chief Medical Officers and Scientists along with the National Health Service (NHS), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Public Health England (PHE), Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Doctors in Unite (the UK’s oldest medical trade union representing junior doctors, general practitioners and hospital consultants) amongst many, many others strongly support and recommend the use of face masks, concluding that face masks play a valuable role in reducing transmission of Coronavirus in the UK community.

Face coverings are mandatory across the UK in the following:

Post Offices
Royal Mail Customer Service Points (which are classed as shops – staff and customers must wear face masks/coverings)
public transport (aeroplanes, trains, trams and buses)
taxis and private hire vehicles
transport hubs (airports, rail and tram stations and terminals, maritime ports and terminals, bus and coach stations and terminals)
shops and supermarkets (places which offer goods or services for retail sale or hire)
shopping centres (malls and indoor markets)
auction houses
premises providing hospitality (bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes), except when seated at a table to eat or drink
post offices, banks, building societies, high-street solicitors and accountants, credit unions, short-term loan providers, savings clubs and money service businesses
estate and lettings agents
theatres
premises providing personal care and beauty treatments (hair salons, barbers, nail salons, massage centres, tattoo and piercing parlours)
premises providing veterinary services
visitor attractions and entertainment venues (museums, galleries, cinemas, theatres, concert halls, cultural and heritage sites, aquariums, indoor zoos and visitor farms, bingo halls, amusement arcades, adventure activity centres, indoor sports stadiums, funfairs, theme parks, casinos, skating rinks, bowling alleys, indoor play areas including soft-play areas)
libraries and public reading rooms
places of worship
funeral service providers (funeral homes, crematoria and burial ground chapels)
community centres, youth centres and social clubs
exhibition halls and conference centres
public areas in hotels and hostels
storage and distribution facilities

People are expected to wear a face covering before entering any of these settings and must keep it on until they leave unless there is a reasonable excuse for removing it.

Royal Mail staff should also wear face masks where they meet people in other indoor settings during their duty e.g., business receptions, blocks of flats etc.

The New Branded Reusable/Washable Cotton Face Masks

The new masks comply with UK’s General Products Safety Regulations 2005 and they have certification for suitability of the fabric for wearing over the nose and mouth. As they have not been supplied as medical grade masks the manufacturer has used their standard non-medical mask description on some of the documentation.

Before deciding which face coverings to purchase, Royal Mail Group considered 12 types of masks from different suppliers which were tested for comfort, fit, breathability, appearance and protection with a range of different sized users, both men and women and people with and without glasses. The Paragon face coverings were the best face covering tested, giving a good fit to a wide range of users with high levels of comfort.

The masks have 3 layers of fabric as recommended by government. Two layers are tightly knitted cotton and a further layer contains SilvaDur antimicrobial treatment. Two or three layers of tightly woven fabric have been shown in studies to be highly effective at filtering out the virus, equivalent to surgical mask standards. When wearing the masks, it is easy to feel the resistance to air flow through them when compared to many other face coverings.

A key consideration for Royal Mail in the selection of the suppliers was also their ability to provide the required level of assurance that they meet the standards expected of a supplier to Royal Mail including the Responsible Procurement Code and the Modern Slavery Act.

The masks are being delivered to the managers of each operational Unit based on the staff in post numbers and will be distributed on the basis of 5 masks per employee. Additional supplies are available which Unit managers can order. See image of the new mask attached.

The new branded, reusable, face coverings will also reduce the impact on the environment.

Putting on and Removing The Mask

The mask is put on and removed by holding it by the elastic from behind, ensuring that hands are clean before touching the mask. When not being worn the mask should be stored in personal possessions or in a polythene bag and not left on surfaces where it could be contaminated. Wearers should avoid touching the mask whilst wearing it.

Changing The Mask

It is important to change the mask and wear a clean mask each day. Members should also change the mask during the day if it becomes wet.

Washing The Masks

The washing requirements for the reusable face coverings are as follows; The face coverings can be hand washed or washed in a washing machine at 60 degrees (not 30 degrees as per packaging) for up to 30 washes. They should not be dry cleaned. Fabric conditioner should not be used when washing the masks as this can leave residue on the materials which should not be breathed in.

Ordering Extra Royal Mail Reusable Face Masks

Units can order extra face coverings from the web site: https://store.paragon-cc.co.uk/rm-stationery. There is a limited supply of additional face coverings available and they will be prioritised to operational units. Any non-operational employees can request a face covering via the above link (subject to availability) or at the unit they are attending if they are unable to work from home.

Disposable Masks

The original ‘disposable’ masks will still be available to order for those employees who prefer to wear them and for Agency/Casual employees.

“Wash Hands-Cover Face-Make Space”

It’s important to remember – face coverings alone will not completely stop people from contracting the virus. They can be an effective tool in preventing the spread of the virus in the workplace and help reduce the risk of infection. Face Masks must not lead to a relaxed attitude to hand washing/sanitising, social distancing, keeping the workplace clean and ventilation. Face coverings play a valuable role in reducing transmission of Coronavirus.

Exemptions

Royal Mail Group fully recognises that some employees are unable to wear face coverings for medical or psychological reasons which covers a wide range of illnesses, impairments or disabilities. Managers must be mindful and respectful of such circumstances and will work jointly with Union Representatives to ensure these employees are not penalised or otherwise discriminated against based on exemption. Only those employees with a legitimate reason for exemption will not need to wear a face covering whilst working indoors. Due to the high infection rate a new revised process of verifying exemption has been put in place following RMG discussions with the CWU which protects the interests, safety and wellbeing of the workforce as a whole. The new process and an agreed joint communication will be reported in a separate LTB.

Yours sincerely



Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer


Royal Mail Group New Branded Reusable-Washable Cotton Face Masks https://emails.cwu.org/t/d-l-qllkihd-jtfljuhyd-h/

[clashcityrocker]

When I went in to work this morning in the section where I was working 2 had masks on 2 were eating and 6 weren't wearing a mask.
They seem to have made up a new rule that you have to wear a mask while you are moving about the office but not when you are at your frame. The fact they are turning round and shouting across to people seems irrelevant in their little world.
I think one of the big problems was the mixed messages sent out when masks became "mandatory" but weren't.

Who was responsible for those mixed messages?

[frankieboy]

Absolutely no point in giving these masks out; hardly anyone wears a mask anyway. Myself and a few others are getting a bit fed up now. Had an outbreak here before, even managers have had it, even colleagues have been hospitalised and still there now, pointless exercise until it is enforceable with disciplinary action.

[knackeredneedadayoff]

The disposable masks we are issued are not for medical use so do they serve any purpose

[Woody Guthrie]

The disposable masks we are issued are not for medical use so do they serve any purpose

That's nonsense.
It's bullshit like this that gives people an excuse not to bother at all.

[ripio]

The disposable masks we are issued are not for medical use so do they serve any purpose

Yes, they serve the purpose of reducing transmission of the virus and thereby reducing illness and death rates.
No medical equipment required.

[frankieboy]

The disposable masks we are issued are not for medical use so do they serve any purpose

Even putting your hands to your face as we were taught as children when you cough or sneeze gave others some protection, so why not any kind of mask.

[HTPostman]

I wouldn’t mind as much if those who refuse to wear masks (because they say they are exempt) were the quiet ones but it’s not, here it’s mostly the loud ones who don’t wear masks, the ones who go round shouting, making animal noises, burping loudly and talking to everyone.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The disposable masks we are issued are not for medical use so do they serve any purpose

We don't work in a medical environment so they are appropriate. They do not remove the risk, they reduce it.

[2chorizon]

Shouldn't we be concerned that these RM masks have a layer of SilvaDur antimicrobial material?
SlivaDur is a pesticide insecticide and rodenticide.

It is dangerous if inhaled and can cause skin burn issues.

Masks containing this chemical have been removed from oubic issue in the USA.

https://newschannel9.com/news/local/maj ... -confusion

[2chorizon]

Endocrine disrupters are not the only worrying chemicals that ordinary consumers are exposed to in everyday life. Also nanoparticles of silver, found in e.g. dietary supplements, cosmetics and food packaging, now worry scientists. A new study from the University of Southern Denmark shows that nano-silver can penetrate our cells and cause damage.

Silver has an antibacterial effect and therefore the food and cosmetic industry often coat their products with silver nanoparticles. Nano-silver can be found in e.g. drinking bottles, cosmetics, band aids, toothbrushes, running socks, refrigerators, washing machines and food packagings.

"Silver as a metal does not pose any danger, but when you break it down to nano-sizes, the particles become small enough to penetrate a cell wall. If nano-silver enters a human cell, it can cause changes in the cell," explain Associate Professor Frank Kjeldsen and PhD Thiago Verano-Braga, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Southern Denmark.

Together with their research colleagues they have just published the results of a study of such cell damages in the journal ACS Nano.

The researchers examined human intestinal cells, as they consider these to be most likely to come into contact with nano-silver, ingested with food.

"We can confirm that nano-silver leads to the formation of harmful, so called free radicals in cells. We can also see that there are changes in the form and amount of proteins. This worries us," say Frank Kjeldsen and Thiago Verano-Braga.

A large number of serious diseases are characterized by the fact that there is an overproduction of free radicals in cells. This applies to cancer and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Kjeldsen and Verano-Braga emphasizes that their research is conducted on human cells in a laboratory, not based on living people. They also point out that they do not know how large a dose of nano-silver, a person must be exposed to for the emergence of cellular changes.

"We don't know how much is needed, so we cannot conclude that nano-silver can make you sick. But we can say that we must be very cautious and worried when we see an overproduction of free radicals in human cells," they say.

Nano-silver is also sold as a dietary supplement, promising to have an antibacterial, anti-flu and cancer-inhibatory effect. The nano-silver should also help against low blood counts and bad skin. In the EU, the marketing of dietary supplements and foods with claims to have medical effects is not allowed. But the nano-silver is easy to find and buy online.

In the wake of the Uiversity of Southern Denmark-research, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration now warns against taking dietary supplements with nano-silver.

"The recent research strongly suggests that it can be dangerous," says Søren Langkilde from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR).

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 115424.htm

[Woody Guthrie]

This site is in danger of disappearing up its own backside.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I agree it's being dragged off into conspiracy theories and anti-science. Is it the Trump effect?

I mean the site won't last forever, nor will I, but it will be sad if we see it lose its usefulness to posties because people seem determined to take topics off on different tangents.

[2chorizon]

The scientific evidence relating to SilvaDur is out there for all to read.
There was no need to purchase facemasks impregnated with this chemical compound.

One does hope employees won't be penalised when presentimg with sore throats, respiratory issues and facial skin irritation.

[2chorizon]

The masks have 3 layers of fabric as recommended by government. Two layers are tightly knitted cotton and a further layer contains SilvaDur antimicrobial treatment. Two or three layers of tightly woven fabric have been shown in studies to be highly effective at filtering out the virus, equivalent to surgical mask standards. When wearing the masks, it is easy to feel the resistance to air flow through them when compared to many other face coverings.

^
Why do they want to create "resistance to airflow" for employees doing hard physical manual labour?
And what are they going to do about rotating such heavy lifting / ardouous walking roles to ensure every employee on site takes a equal turn in hourly rotation of these duties as permall risk assesments?

It would not be fair for someone in a side or back office role to escape taking their turn on the ardouous physical tasks whilst wearing a standard issue facemask that has been issued because " it is easy to feel the resistance to air flow through them when compared to many other face coverings"