Proposed changes to stop frontline workers getting COVID-19 do not go far enough, Australia’s peak body for the health and safety of workers warns.
Data released on Tuesday shows at least 69 per cent of Victorian healthcare workers likely caught COVID-19 on the job compared with 22 per cent during the first wave.
The State Government is ramping up measures at health services, aged care facilities and GP clinics to drive down infections, including extra random spot checks, “PPE spotters” to monitor proper use and a “fit testing” trial for staff at highest risk.
However, the Australian Institute of Health and Safety says the measures aren’t enough and basic health and safety practices are still being ignored.
AIHS chairwoman Naomi Kemp said having “spotters” was a “weak” protection compared with proper fit testing, which ensures a respirator mask is tightly sealed.
Guidance on using N95 respirators has been expanded to increase their usage from 50,000 to 800,000 a week.
Ms Kemp said the increased supply was good, but it was “irresponsible” the respirators would not be properly fit tested when existing research showed they would have limited success without it.
“Fit testing more than doubles the effectiveness of these masks,” she said.
“These decisions are being made by panels which do not understand the available science on the use of P2/N95 masks.”
More than 2500 frontline workers have been infected since the start of the pandemic.
Healthcare workers in aged care settings accounted for around two in five infections, while hospital workers were about a third.
Ms Kemp called for WorkSafe Victoria to step up and take a strong role in hospitals and aged care.
“We believe large numbers of healthcare services have been in breach of health and safety legislation, and little or nothing still appears to have been done about it,” she said.
Ms Kemp said governments across Australia were getting advice from expert panels that had no worker health and safety experts on them.
She added if other states and territories failed to learn Victoria’s lessons, they too would experience preventable deaths in health and aged care settings.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMimwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS9saWZlc3R5bGUvaGVhbHRoL2hlYWx0aC1wcm9ibGVtcy9oZWFsdGhjYXJlLXNlY3Rvci1jaGFuZ2VzLWFyZW50LWVub3VnaC1wZWFrLWJvZHktd2FybnMvbmV3cy1zdG9yeS84NzAyOGNkNmQxNDNjYzRjODBjNGRkMDhiYTBkNDUyOdIBmwFodHRwczovL2FtcC5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS9saWZlc3R5bGUvaGVhbHRoL2hlYWx0aC1wcm9ibGVtcy9oZWFsdGhjYXJlLXNlY3Rvci1jaGFuZ2VzLWFyZW50LWVub3VnaC1wZWFrLWJvZHktd2FybnMvbmV3cy1zdG9yeS84NzAyOGNkNmQxNDNjYzRjODBjNGRkMDhiYTBkNDUyOQ?oc=5
2020-08-26 06:48:18Z
CBMimwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS9saWZlc3R5bGUvaGVhbHRoL2hlYWx0aC1wcm9ibGVtcy9oZWFsdGhjYXJlLXNlY3Rvci1jaGFuZ2VzLWFyZW50LWVub3VnaC1wZWFrLWJvZHktd2FybnMvbmV3cy1zdG9yeS84NzAyOGNkNmQxNDNjYzRjODBjNGRkMDhiYTBkNDUyOdIBmwFodHRwczovL2FtcC5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS9saWZlc3R5bGUvaGVhbHRoL2hlYWx0aC1wcm9ibGVtcy9oZWFsdGhjYXJlLXNlY3Rvci1jaGFuZ2VzLWFyZW50LWVub3VnaC1wZWFrLWJvZHktd2FybnMvbmV3cy1zdG9yeS84NzAyOGNkNmQxNDNjYzRjODBjNGRkMDhiYTBkNDUyOQ
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Healthcare sector changes aren’t enough, peak body warns - NEWS.com.au"
Post a Comment