NEWS
“ COVER UP TO KEEP YOU T
here’s a huge issue around personal protective equipment (PPE) not being used in all the cases when it should. It may be that complacency has
crept in. Certainly, it can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods. I hear colleagues say, ‘if I was going to get Covid-19, I would have by now’ or ‘the pubs are open so it must be okay’. The number of gloves being worn by officers has
halved in recent weeks, and it’s the same story with masks. And yet we’re getting busier and going to more jobs. The Police Federation has said throughout the crisis that officers should wear a mask when they are double-crewed or sharing vehicles. Or at the very least they should be wearing the face covering. And there’s a difference between the two – a
mask is classed as PPE, because it’s designed to protect the wearer. The face covering looks similar but does not offer the same level of protection. However, it does comply with the Government advice around getting on public transport or visiting a hospital, and there is some evidence that wearing a face covering can afford some protection from transmitting the virus to others, if for example the wearer isn’t aware that they even have Covid-19. The Federation was involved in writing the guidelines for face coverings and PPE. So, we’re content it meets your needs. We, of course, keep this under review. In terms of face coverings, there are some exemptions for police officers, such as if a mask could stop us from communicating with someone, or a situation kicks off and there isn’t time to put a mask or covering on. Those instances aside, police officers should be wearing face coverings in any situation where we’d expect the public to do the same. As we all know, face masks or covers are not the
silver bullet for Covid-19. In terms of other ways you can stay safe, hand hygiene is still the biggie, along with maintaining a safe distance from others. If we’re sharing a computer, we can give it a wipe down before and after we use it. The same goes for vehicles. On a set of shifts, I believe you should be crewing-up with the same crewmate for the whole set – that way if one of you contracts the virus, only two officers would potentially have to isolate rather than several members of the squad. Policing has coped superbly with this crisis. If you look at the amount of proactive work we’ve been doing in many cases for the first time in a long while, it’s clear that colleagues have been doing their job under incredibly challenging circumstances, keeping the streets safe during lockdown and taking large amounts of drugs and weapons off the streets. Absence levels are almost at an all-time low. And
that tells us that officers have been mindful of PPE and the other guidance throughout the crisis. We just need to ensure we don’t throw away the good work now. That’s why we must continue to wear PPE, keep social distancing (where we can), keep setting that example – and above all keep ourselves and our families safe.
“ The Police Federation has said throughout the crisis that officers should wear a mask when they are double crewed or sharing vehicles. Or at the very least they should be wearing the face covering.”
Nick O’Time By Colin Whittock
AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE” PFEW National Board member Simon Kempton talks about the importance of police ofcers wearing face coverings and PPE
10 | POLICE | SEPTEMBER 2020
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
