House removals and face masks

dizzyblonde thanks, that's interesting. I saw a photo of Prince Harry yesterday lifting boxes at some event. His material mask was all wet under the chin and round the gills. He needs to learn to replace it when damp.

Alexa

Removal men who feel uncomfortable wearing masks are feeble! Compare manual hard work for long stretches of time.

I don't entirely believe masks are useless to protect the wearer. Although the main use of masking is public health I think there is a slight protection for the wearer too.

As one of those health care workers who wear a mask all day and do manual work, carrying people downstairs and doing cpr I still feel sorry for removal men having to wear masks and I certainly do not think they are feeble for struggling with it. Also if they are not provided with enough masks to change them as soon as they get damp then they are worse than useless.
I do hope they are provided with enough drinks and decent lavatory facilities, mask wearing is very dehydrating even in cooler weather.

There are plenty of trees around!

Be prepared for them to use the toilet. Maybe put kitchen towel in the bathroom.

I have a lot of sympathy for the removers having to wear masks - but I do think they should wear them.

Edited: health workers who do sweaty manual exhausting work while wearing masks.

Removal men who feel uncomfortable wearing masks are feeble! Compare manual hard work for long stretches of time.

I don't entirely believe masks are useless to protect the wearer. Although the main use of masking is public health I think there is a slight protection for the wearer too.

Our removal company have said the men will be wearing masks, visors and wearing gloves. We will be allowed to give them tea and biscuits and let them use the loo.

facts and figures
Interesting news this morning that up until June 18 anyone who had been tested positive for C19 but then subsequently went into hospital for something completely unrelated was counted as a C19 admittance. So what are the true figures?
These numbers were calculated by PHE.

Indeed - so all I can do is minimise the inevitable risks as much as possible.

Not silly Illte - I think we have all been bombarded with so very many facts and figures and advice that it tends to result in brain ache!

Moving house creates a whole scenario of covid "what ifs."
What if the estate agent has it
What if the solicitor has it
What if the removal men have it
What if the van they use has it from the previous day's furniture job
What if the home you move into has it from the outgoing sellers or from their removal men
The buyer comes into contact with all these situations, it is a calculated risk, masks or no masks, but maybe one that just has to be taken.

I am the Queen of soap, I've even soaped the tomatoes but I just hadn't thought of it in regard to your predicament. How dumb is that?

I was just thinking of not getting too close!

The more I think about it the sillier I feel?

Illte - that is the principle behind so many of the rules that have been made around the virus. It floats as droplets in the air when someone who is infected (even if unknowingly) breathes out. Those droplets land on every surface: light switches, computer mice, door handles, table tops, computer keyboards, food on supermarket shelves - just everything. That is why we are told to wear masks - not to protect ourselves, but to stop the wearer breathing out the droplets and directly infecting another, and also these droplets landing on places that others will touch. If they then touch their mouth, nose, eyes the virus can get into the body and infect the person.

Someone does not have to cough to create droplets. All they have to do is breathe! Coughing just spreads the virus further.

It is also the principle behind handwashing, so that if someone touches a surface with droplets on they can wash the virus from their hands.

Sorry to sound a bit basic - but I was surprised that you were not aware that the droplets land on furniture - on everything really!

Gosh I never thought if them coughing and spreading over the furniture!

Glad you've found a company that does wear masks ?

I am sure you are right!

Moving entails a lot of coming and goings. Today, day one after the move, it was the TV aerial chaps with their ladders on the roof and crawling round the loft (no masks), and the carpet fitters (no masks). Tomorrow it is the washing machine installer. Endless delivery men, even gift boxes of flowers deliveries (no masks).
What I'm saying is that it doesn't stop after the removals with people trudging round the house.

Friend moved at weekend removers all wore masks took them off in the van when they left. Friend and daughter both wore masks and were in the house the whole time.

I have just had a sensible quote from a company who do use PPE throughout the move. I think I will go with them.

Masks are really difficult to wear when doing hard physical work. If they wear fabric or surgical masks they would have to change them every 15 minutes or so as they will get damp and therefore ineffective.

What about other removers who have quoted for you Luckygirl?
Have they mentioned masks?

You could open all the windows and give the new house a thorough airing, while they are working and after they've left.

I'd be a bit concerned about being told not to be there at all, tho.

I am not especially concerned - although I would prefer not to get ill! - but we are supposed to be wearing masks with non-householders in our home, so I wondered what the rules are for house moving and masks.

I do recognise that they are uncomfortable to wear when doing a hard physical job.

The issue about masks in this situation is of course that they stop the workers from scattering virus droplets about the whole house and them settling on surfaces.

Lucky no recent experience of moving but my thoughts:

I wouldn't expect the removal men to wear masks - it's a hard physical job and it's not easy to breathe in the average workaday mask. If you intend to be around you could be from a distance and wearing a mask.

I've been travelling on London transport quite a bit in the past few weeks and I can tell you that a 20-minute Tube ride is about as much as I can manage.

What is it you're particularly concerned about?

Looked again and still can't find it - lots of stuff about distancing and hand washing, but not about masks.

I found Illte that on the government website but could not find specific advice about masks. I will look again.

Oh, thanks for that, Esspee! Will check it out.