What are the COVID rules for those who are double-vaccinated?
Those who are fully vaccinated will no longer need to self-isolate when coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus from Monday
The Government has confirmed that those who are fully vaccinated with the Covid jab will no longer need to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.
This will go ahead from Monday, August 16, meaning anyone fully vaccinated will only need to quarantine if they test positive for Covid themselves. This also applies to those 18 and under, who will not need to legally self isolate from Monday if coming into close contact with someone with the virus.
In the confirmation of the change in rules, the Government said: “Getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms”.
What are the rules for those who are double-jabbed from Monday 16th August?
Anyone who tests positive for the virus will still need to legally quarantine until their symptoms improve and after they have tested negative for Covid.
Everyone will still be advised to take PCR tests if they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. This is to check they do not have the virus themselves, as the vaccination is not 100% effective.
This includes health care workers, if they test negative through a PCR test they can return to work and will still need to take lateral flow tests for 10 days.
Anyone who was alerted to self-isolate before August 16 and their quarantine days ends after August 16 can leave isolation from Monday.
The new rules only apply to those who have had their second vaccination within 14 days before August 16. Anyone who has had their second vaccine below 14 days before August 16 will still need to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive.
After 14 days after receiving the second vaccination, they can follow the new rules or not needing to self-isolate.
Everyone is still advised to wear masks in busy or enclosed areas, particularly to those who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive and those coming into close contact with someone who tested positive are encouraged to “limit contact with other people” as the Government explained.
People will still be contacted by the NHS Track and Trace system if they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive but will instead be asked to take a PCR test, rather than to isolate.
The NHS Covid app will be able to prove if people have been double vaccinated or if they are under 18 years. Anyone who has not had two doses or a full vaccination course will still have to self-isolate. The self-isolation rules have helped maintain and control the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking about this Health Secretary, Sajid Javid said: “Asking the close contacts of people with COVID-19 to self-isolate has played a critical role in helping us get this virus under control, and millions of people across the UK have made enormous sacrifices by doing this, every single one of these sacrifices has helped us protect the NHS and save lives.”
Take care. Keep safe!
Contact Walker Health and Safety Services Limited for further information.
(Correct on day of posting)
Tip-overs: #1 killer of forklift truck operators
Forklift tip-over was the focus of the UK’s inaugural Forklift Safety Day. And with good reason.
According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA), tipping accidents are biggest single cause of fatalities (42%) among forklift operators.
Taking these in order… prevention starts with a risk assessment specific to your site, loads, equipment, etc. and creating safe systems of work to eliminate hazards or minimise the risk associated with them.
Many of these can be addressed by removing, re-modelling or reversing routes that require trucks to travel down slopes (especially while laden), eliminating uneven surfaces and keeping ground conditions in good order (so no potholes or debris). It’s also worth talking to your forklift provider to discuss ways to make trucks inherently safer with speed limiters, load sensors, etc.
While we’re on the subject of training, it doesn’t end with operators. The HSE demands that if you supervise materials handling operations you must have the necessary training and knowledge to recognise what good (and bad) practice looks like. The good news is that Managing Forklift Operations courses are now available online to minimise time off site. Contact us if you require further information.
Driving with the mast raised is the single biggest cause of truck-tip events. State-of-the-art software that prevents tipping by seamlessly adjusting the truck’s speed as it enters a turn, taking into account the steer angle and load. The result is reduced risk of tip-overs, less load shedding and improved productivity as the manoeuvre is completed at optimum speed.
Wearing a seatbelt at all times is the simplest and most effective way of avoiding serious injury in a tipping incident. And it’s the law. The HSE makes clear it will “Prosecute site operators who do not take adequate measures to enforce the wearing of seat belts”. The challenge lies in getting operators to comply.
Even where management is vigilant and issues constant reminders, it’s not uncommon for operators to avoid wearing a seat belt (even where there is an interlock), tricking the machine by fastening the seat belt permanently behind them. So what’s to be done?
Some trucks have introduced a “no cheat” seat belt on electric counterbalance trucks. This switchable function allows the employer – at his or her discretion – to select an option that ensures wearing of a seat belt is mandatory.
To enable the truck to drive the forklift, four steps must be followed:
The truck can then be driven normally. If, however, if the sequence has not been completed or if the operator has tried to circumnavigate it, the machine will not function.
Sometimes, the simple stuff can have the greatest impact.
Contact us if you require further information.
How not to wear a face covering or mask
The coronavirus is here for the long haul! The future will depend on social mixing and the prevention that we have in place and how we comply with that.
Wash your hands often – if soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid close contact – everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household.
Clean and disinfect – clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
Monitor Your Health Daily – be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
Face coverings must be worn by customers in shops, supermarkets and shopping centres. Shop workers will now also have to wear a face covering.
Face coverings are compulsory for anyone travelling by public transport in England, Scotland and Wales, unless they have an exemption or a reasonable excuse. People can be refused travel if they do not follow the rules and can be fined as a last resort.
Face coverings are also compulsory in a number of indoor spaces. These include:
Some people do not have to wear a face covering. They include:
You can take off your mask if:
World Health Organization (WHO) advice says non-medical face coverings should be worn in public where social distancing is not possible.
Coronavirus is spread when droplets are sprayed into the air when infected people talk, cough or sneeze. Those droplets can then fall on surfaces.
The WHO says there is also emerging evidence of airborne transmission of the virus, with tiny particles hanging in aerosol form in the air.
Homemade cloth face coverings can help reduce the spread from people who are contagious but have no symptoms or are yet to develop symptoms. Taking a face covering on and off can also risk contamination, the WHO says.
Contact us if you require further information.
Thank you to Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust for the mask infographic.
Information correct at time of publishing.
First Aid Cover During Reduced Staffing as a Result of Covid-19
If first-aid cover for your business is reduced because of coronavirus (perhaps your first aiders are furloughed or working from home) or you can’t get the first-aid training you need, there are some things you can do so that you still comply with the law.
You should review your first aid needs assessment and decide if you can still provide the cover needed for the workers that are present and the activities that they are doing.
If there are fewer people coming into your workplace, it may still be safe to operate with reduced first-aid cover. You could also stop higher risk activities.
You could share the first aiders of another business, but be sure that they have the knowledge, experience and availability to cover the first aid needs of your business.
Shared first aiders must:
Whoever provides the temporary cover must make sure they do not adversely affect their own first-aid cover.
If your first aiders hold a first-aid certificate that expires on or after 16 March 2020 and have not been able to access requalification training because of coronavirus, they may qualify for a three-month extension. This applies to the following courses:
To qualify for the extension, you must be able to explain why they have not been able to requalify and demonstrate what steps you have taken to access the training, if asked to do so.
Courses are now available for requalification. In England, the final deadline for requalification for these qualifications is 30 September 2020. There is no deadline yet for Scotland and Wales, but employers or certificate holders are encouraged to arrange requalification training as soon as they can.
There are also online options for first aid training. We use a company called IHASCO. Contact them by clicking here.
Contact us should you require further information.
Myths around the risks of coronavirus in the UK are doing the rounds. We put the facts straight.
Face masks aren’t that useful.
You might be starting to see people wearing them in the UK, but there is limited evidence that they work. That’s because they are generally too loose, don’t cover the eyes and can’t be worn for long periods. Face masks need to be changed frequently (because they get sweaty), if they are to offer any real protection. To protect yourself, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it’s more important to:
cover your mouth and nose while sneezing, with a tissue or your elbow
put the tissue straight into a closed bin
wash your hands afterwards, and then frequently, with soap or sanitiser
keep your distance from people who are coughing and sneezing (at least one metre)
Don’t bother:
There is no evidence that your pet dog or cat can be infected with the new coronavirus, according to the WHO. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t regularly wash your hands with soap and water after touching them. Even cuddly pets can carry bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella – and these are bugs that can pass between pets and humans.
The new (and as yet unnamed) coronavirus is thought to have originated in a live animal market in Wuhan, China – with the source likely to be wildlife. The virus could have gone unnoticed in animals before jumping to humans, which is how many viruses start. eg. avian flu, Ebola, Sars. But that doesn’t mean animals in general are dangerous or spreaders.
Coronavirus: How worried should we be?
The new virus is part of the coronavirus family, which includes the common cold, Sars and Mers. It is seldom a ‘killer’. Most people will have mild symptoms (cough, high temperature) and will recover, the UK’s top doctor says.
However, the virus is making some people seriously ill (pneumonia, breathing problems) and killing a small number (severe lung issues) in China.
Remember that flu, which circulates every winter, kills people too – an average of 600 people die from complications of flu in the UK every year. Scientists still don’t know exactly how the new virus is spread. Tiny droplets from coughs and breathing are most likely. Getting a flu vaccine at the moment is still advised by UK health officials.
But there is no cure
There are no specific medicines or vaccines for the new virus, and antibiotics don’t work either (they fight off bacteria). Treatment options do exist but most people get better on their own. Scientists are working hard to develop a vaccine, but this will have to be tested in trials first, so it could be some time before it’s ready. Older people and those with other health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are most vulnerable to the new virus. Although anyone of any age can get it, only a small proportion of people are dying from it.
Contact 111 or your local GP if you have concerns.
