Category: National
National Campaigns
Care Workers in London Borough of Barnet Please read
If you are a care worker in Barnet please please click on the link below for details of the type of PPE you should be wearing in your workplace.
Priorities for PPE Allocation (v7)
Home Visits Guidance Barnet Public Health 30th March 2020
To view the advice please click on the link below
2020.04.01. Covid_19 Advice to Staff visiting homes 30.03_JD
Solidarity for NHS workers: Join National applause Thursday 26 March 8 pm.
What is happening in your workplace: Please read
If your employer is not listening to the government following the lock down announcement as a worker you do have some legal rights to protect your health and safety.
If you are a Barnet UNISON member please let us know immediately by emailing the branch at
Already some workers have walked out by using this legislation
Employment Rights Act 1996 Section 44 (Health and safety cases).
(1) An employee has the right not to be subjected to any detriment by any act, or any deliberate failure to act, by his employer done on the ground that—
(d) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert, he left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to his place of work or any dangerous part of his place of work, or
(e) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent, he took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or other persons from the danger.
Barnet UNISON statement:
Please let the branch know what is going on with your employer by sending an email to
contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
You can keep up to date with Barnet UNISON here on our
Website here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON/
Twitter https://twitter.com/barnet_unison
Barnet UNISON: Public Health guidance for Social Care workers
Dear Members
If you work in social care we want to make sure that you are being kept safe.
Below are links to Public Health England guidance for workers in Residential, Supported Living and Home Care.
Please read the information carefully. If you are not getting Personal Protective
COVID-19: guidance on residential care provision
Updated 19 March 2020
“Care home providers will routinely be procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and aprons. In addition, there will be a free issue of PPE to support adult social care providers to support compliance with the updated advice. This will be issued from the pandemic influenza stockpile. Arrangements will be put in place for adult social care providers to access further PPE as necessary.”
COVID-19: guidance for supported living provision
Updated 19 March 2020
“Personal protective equipment
The risk of transmission should be minimised through safe working procedures. Care workers should use personal protective equipment for activities that bring them into close personal contact, such as washing and bathing, personal hygiene and contact with bodily fluids.
Aprons, gloves and fluid repellent surgical masks should be used in these situations.
In particular cases, if there is a risk of splashing then eye protection will minimise risk.
New personal protective equipment must be used for each episode of care. It is essential that personal protective equipment is stored securely within disposable rubbish bags.
These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within the room. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in the usual household waste bin for disposal.”
COVID-19: guidance on home care provision
Updated 19 March 2020
“Personal protective equipment
Care workers should use personal protective equipment (PPE) for activities that bring them into close personal contact, such as washing and bathing, personal hygiene and contact with bodily fluids.
Aprons, gloves and fluid repellent surgical masks should be used in these situations. If there is a risk of splashing, then eye protection will minimise risk.
New personal protective equipment must be used for each episode of care. It is essential that personal protective equipment is stored securely within disposable rubbish bags.
These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within the room. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in the usual household waste bin.”
Barnet UNISON statement:
Please let the branch know if you are not being provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
by sending an email to
contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
You can keep up to date with Barnet UNISON here on our
Website here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON/
Twitter https://twitter.com/barnet_unison
Who are the Key Workers who need to have child care provided by Schools?
Barnet UNISON members if you have any questions please email the branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
UNISON in relation to Coronavirus, all workplaces including schools.
Dear Member
I thought I would share the latest update from UNISON in relation to Coronavirus, all workplaces including schools.
“What is UNISON nationally is doing now?
We are seeking to work with national government, local government and education employers to draw up additional guidance. We have raised a range of issues with them including:
- Which workers we believe should be defined as essential staff and have access to education facilities;
- Closures and full pay – the need for reassurance around full pay for all staff including contractors (catering, cleaning etc), agency staff and sessional workers;
- Health and safety – need for risk assessments, protective equipment, schools fully stocked with all necessary cleaning products and testing;
- Postponement of redundancies/restructures/TUPE transfers/ disciplinary hearings etc during this period;
- Joint working with unions and employers locally and nationally to help schools and pupils and staff through crisis with employers and unions recognising the need for flexibility. Asking for volunteers first when employers are seeking to re-deploy staff;”
More details here.
https://www.unison.org.uk/at-work/education-services/key-issues/covid-19-closures/
I have submitted the above to Barnet Council and requested that I need a response which I can share to all of our members.
Please note:
If you have any questions please email
contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
Barnet UNISON submission to Barnet Council about #Coronavirus
Corona Virus: Barnet UNISON update
Dear Members
As the Corona (Corvid-19) virus has spread it has become the main issue of concern in our workplaces.
The main responsibility for dealing with the virus lies with the UK Government and national and regional agencies. But Barnet UNISON believes, along with the rest of the Trade Union movement, that unions and employers, working together, can make a significant difference to ensure that the effects of the outbreak are minimised.
Over the last few weeks Barnet UNISON have been trying to engage with Barnet Council about the Corona Virus. We want to work with the Council in a cooperative way to inform and protect our members, other colleagues and the public, so that measures taken in response to the virus are appropriate, sufficient, and fairly applied. We also believe that working this way will help prevent irresponsible behaviour and panic.
UNISON members have raised their concerns with us on obtaining information on the level of risk, the lack of precautionary measure such as sanitisers at some work sites, and the repercussions of not being at work because of illness, self-isolation or other result of the outbreak.
The Council have been relaying information from the Government, the NHS and Public Health England on the intranet or through work emails, but not all Barnet workers have easy access to these, and are missing important communications. Further guidance specific to our workplaces is also needed.
The Council have tried to supply sanitisers and wipes, but they have informed that we problems with supply of these items have proved a major obstacle. At a service and local level some mangers and staff have been procuring items for the protection of colleagues, but UNISON hold that these should have been planned for and provided at the Council Corporate level before now.
In response to our members concerns we have raised a number of issues with the Council. These include
- Guidance and information
- Provision of protectionary items and procedures
- Risk Assessments
- Specific arrangements for colleagues at greater risk from the virus such as those over 65 or those with underlying health problems.
- Procedures for Council buildings open to the public
- Actions to take at worksites if people with confirmed cases of the virus have visited or worked there.
- Procedures for Home visits to service users
- Sick Leave
- Working from home
- Absence reporting
- Service cover for high levels of absence
- School closures and child care responsibilities
- Appraisal targets and deadlines
At the time of writing we still await a full response from the Council and but have been informed that the issues will be discussed at meeting next week. Barnet UNISON welcome this but such discussion and information should have already been provided. But we hope that this signals the Council’s willingness to truly engage with UNISON and the other trade unions in protecting the health of our colleagues and the public.
In the meantime please use the following links to get further information on the Corona Virus.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
If you have concerns or questions please contact your local UNISON reps, or the Branch at
The Corona virus requires a collective response. Acting together to protect ourselves is the cornerstone of trade unionism. Working together and looking out for our colleagues, friends, family, service users and the wider community will be a major factor in reducing the damage caused by the virus. Selfish individualist actions, such as panic buying, profiteering on in-demand items or stealing sanitisers from work places threaten all of us, including those committing these acts.
Stay safe, stay healthy.
In Solidarity
Hugh Jordan
Branch Health & Safety Officer/Libraries Convenor
Barnet Unison
Tel: 0208 359 2088
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/