Tag Archives: Face Masks

Truckers Need Face Masks, Too

Truckers need face masks. They travel alone a lot, isolated in truck cabs, often with little direct contact with other people. While this may lower their risk of catching or spreading COVID-19, they must still protect themselves and others when making even brief stops along their route.

There is no assurance that a person who talks, coughs or sneezes – or even breathes heavily – as they walk by is not infected. Many people don’t realize they are infected, because they may be infectious BEFORE they feel any symptoms.

Drivers may feel a false sense of security at familiar customer sites, truck stops or other public places. This is especially true if they don’t expect lengthy social interactions. Wearing a face mask helps keep drivers and others safe, along with social distancing and other prevention measures.

High-Risk Truckers Need Face Masks Even More

Long-haul truckers may make repeat trips to hotspot areas of the country. Traveling from one hotspot region to another, and another, puts them at increased risk for exposure to the coronavirus.

Some drivers serve clients who are operating high-risk worksites, such as meatpacking plants. Often, drivers need to wait while a trailer is loaded. At a minimum, there is interaction required to handle the paperwork when picking up or dropping off a load.

All drivers need to interact people along their journey. Truck stops often have drive-through fast-food options that allow truckers to avoid indoor dining. Some we have spoken with report that these fast-food lanes are now more crowded than usual, as the general public utilizes them to also avoid inside dining. Truckers need to keep up the pace to finish their runs on time, so may opt to go into a store or fast-food restaurant to get food rather than use the drive-throughs, increasing their risk of exposure.

Using a mask, practicing social distancing and following hand washing protocols are the best tools available to keep drivers, and their families, safe. Truckers need face masks, too.

More Information For Truckers About Face Masks

As part of the Keep Trucking Safe program, a Tip Sheet is available with information about the use of face masks for truckers. You can download the Tip Sheet here.

The Tip Sheet covers selecting the right mask, how properly use and care for the mask, and has a link for more information if use of a respirator is needed.

The Keep Trucking Safe program is run by the Trucking Injury Reduction Emphasis (TIRES), a project of the Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) program of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

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Choose the Right Face Mask

New DLI web tool helps you choose the right face mask or covering.

Most Workers Must Wear a Mask

Most workers in Washington have to wear a mask or face covering at work under coronavirus workplace safety and health requirements that took effect June 8th.

With some exceptions, workers must wear some type of face covering or mask to help limit the spread of the coronavirus to those around them. Other higher-risk jobs may require respirators to protect the worker from infection by patients or clients.

Under the requirements, employers must provide the face coverings and masks to employees at no charge. Workers can bring their own face coverings and masks as well, as long as they meet requirements.

Choose the Right Face Mask

Choosing the correct mask for COVID-19 prevention at work just got easier and quicker if you use Washington State’s Department of Labor and Industries’ (DLI’s) new  web-based e-tool  from your mobile device or computer.

Although not intended for hospitals, clinics or other treatment facilities, the e-tool is designed to help most businesses make informed choices based on the level of risk and whether users are working alone, indoors, outdoors, or in a vehicle.

The e-tool also includes links to other helpful information including videos on how to correctly put on and remove masks, answers to common questions about masks and DLI’s “Which Mask for Which Task?” booklet.

We hope you’ll enjoy the convenience this eTool offers and share it with others in your safety network.

Where to find more info

Please visit L&I’s Coronavirus safety and health overview page for prevention materials and links to policies, requirements, and helpful resources about COVID-19 safety for healthcare professionals, agricultural workers, airline employees, construction crews, childcare workers, grocery workers, dental workers and many other occupations.

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How to Wear a Mask Project

The How to Wear a Mask Project

The City of Seattle gave our own Lexi Potter a shout-out for her initiative and action in launching the How to Wear a Mask project. Lexi noticed others not wearing their masks in the most effective manner while commuting to work, and thought simple instructions on the proper use of face coverings could help everyone in the community.

Lexi and a group of friends designed informative posters to help people understand how to effectively wear masks to protect their friends and family. They have printed hundreds of posters, some now translated into Chinese (with other languages on the way), that they are distributing to local businesses and hanging up throughout the city.

Lexi is one of our essential employees that has continued to come into the office throughout the Stay at Home order. As King County has moved through the phases of reopening, Lexi has been the hub that has kept all the wheels turning, enabling the firm to remain fully open and functional while most of the team is working from home.

Free Face Masks!

Washington will supply masks to eligible residents for free, coinciding with the Governor’s order to make mask-wearing mandatory across the state. This order went into effect on June 26th.

Washington state has purchased 3.6 million cloth face masks for every person in Washington below 200% of the federal poverty level (a family of four earning $52,400 or less). Local emergency management programs, are working with various community organizations and service providers to deliver them to people who need them.

Masks will be available through your local public health department and other community organizations. Watch locally for news about how masks are being distributed in your area.

The Department of Health recommends you throw away any masks you might have that don’t stay on your face right or have holes in them.

Mask Challenge

How to wear a face mask, where to get a free face mask, and now a face mask challenge! The Lieutenant Governor, Cyrus Habib, has kicked off the challenge, asking anyone that makes a minimum of 10 masks to register to donate the masks for distribution. Instructions for sewing masks are provided, here. There are links on the challenge page to donate masks or request masks.

Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib announces the Washington Mask Challenge, a statewide initiative to encourage Washingtonians to make, wear, and donate cloth face masks.
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Mask Wearing Is Now Required in WA State

Mask wearing is now required in Washington State. Governor Inslee implemented a new statewide requirement that all residents wear masks in public. On June 23rd, Governor Inslee announced a new statewide requirement that all Washingtonians and visitors to the State wear facemasks or coverings in indoor public places such as stores, offices and restaurants. The order also requires that face coverings be used in outdoor settings where people cannot stay six feet apart from people not of their own household.

Governor Inslee’s order follows significant increases in the COVID-19 transmission rate throughout Washington. Yakima County is currently a hotspot, with a rate of COVID-19 spread in that is 27 times that of King County. The Governor has paused the process for counties to enter Phase 4, due to increases seen in case numbers across the State. This pause effects even the 7 counties where the data would otherwise support entering the final phase of reopening, which has essentially no restrictions on activities or business.

Skagit County has also seen an increase in transmission over the last several weeks. According to a notice from Skagit Public Health, this increase is primarily due to unauthorized social gatherings, travel and transmission between coworkers. Skagit County is currently in Phase 2.

As more and more people return to work, begin eating out in restaurants again, and seeing friends and family, the importance of taking precautions against the spread of the Coronavirus increases. Mask wearing is a simple precaution that almost everyone can implement. There are exceptions for those who are not medically able, are deaf and/or hard of hearing, and children under 5 years of age.  Everyone else should wear a mask.

There is ambiguity when the order states that mask wearing is required outdoors when you cannot be at least six feet apart from other people. This can be hard to maintain in the city, where you likely should wear the mask anytime you’re walking down the street. But, even is out on a hiking trail, you should be prepared to put a mask on when you come into contact with others.

The mask wearing requirement went into effect on Friday, June 26, 2020. Willful noncompliance is a misdemeanor offense. You can find further information on the Washington state Coronavirus website.

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Which Mask for Which Task – DLI News

New workplace mask guidance helps determine Which Mask for Which Task

Most workers in Washington have to wear a mask or face covering at work under new coronavirus workplace safety and health requirements that took effect June 8th.

With some exceptions, workers must wear some type of face covering or mask to help limit the spread of the coronavirus to those around them. Other higher-risk jobs may require respirators to protect the worker from infection by patients or clients.

Under the requirements, employers must provide the face coverings and masks to employees at no charge. Workers can bring their own face coverings and masks as well, as long as they meet requirements.

Which mask for which task

The new Department of Labor & Industries (DLI) guidance document describes various types of jobs based on the level of risk to workers, from negligible risk to extremely high. The publication spells out which face-covering, mask, or respirator is required for that task.

Along with details about the appropriate protective face covering, the guidance also includes photos to help workers and employers identify the type of mask required.

“We know that choosing the correct face covering, mask or respirator can be confusing. It’s a new experience for most employers and people on the job,” said DLI Assistant Director Anne Soiza. “This guidance should help employers and workers understand the risk level for various tasks, and make the right choice to protect workers from the coronavirus. Employers needing assistance can call on our statewide consultants for help.”

Exceptions to mask requirements

There are some limited exceptions to the workplace requirements for masks and face coverings. For example, someone working alone in an office, vehicle, or at a jobsite with no in-person interactions is not required to wear a face covering or mask.

Other exceptions include workers who are deaf or hard of hearing, or a person on the job who communicates with someone who relies on language cues such as facial markers and expression and mouth movements as a part of communication. A worker with a medical condition or disability that makes wearing a facial covering inappropriate is also exempt from the requirement.

New training and information

DLI has developed a training template that employers can use to meet requirements to train employees about coronavirus. It covers numerous topics including symptoms, transmission, face coverings and worker rights. The training is available in English and Spanish online.

The nature of the outbreak changes daily, so it’s important for everyone to have the most current information. DLI has a COVID-19 webpage, and there’s important information on the state Coronavirus Response (COVID-19) site. There’s also an online form for people to report suspected violations of the Governor’s orders regarding essential business functions, evictions, and social distancing.

Information is the best resource to protect workers and the public. DLI urges employers to stay as informed as possible, and to take all measures necessary to keep Washington workers safe and healthy.

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