New Face Mask Rules In Educational Settings

The introduction of lockdown two in England is something that is all familiar to us – with the exception of schools remaining open, the restrictions largely mirror that which we experienced from March in the United Kingdom. This time however, we are much more accustomed to the requirement of wearing a face mask in public settings, which was introduced firstly when on public transport in June. It was then expanded to include supermarkets and retail settings in July, and further extended to cover hospitality settings from August. Education environments have also been included within the rulings – when schools returned for the new year over the summer months, it was strongly advised by the World Healthcare Organisation (WHO) that face coverings should be worn in high school settings when both pupils and staff are travelling in corridors between classes or in communal areas. The new lockdown restrictions in England have now made this recommendation mandatory. All secondary students in the region must wear face masks in school corridors and communal areas. This was previously implemented by the government for those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 areas, but now the rule applies to all English schools. Under this new guidance, the government state that all pupils in Year 7 and above, alongside all staff, must wear face coverings when moving around the school and social distancing cannot be maintained. This includes outside of classrooms, in corridors, stairways and communal areas such as foyers and canteens. In Scotland, this rule was implemented in September and further restrictions have now been implemented in all Tier 3 areas of the county, making it compulsory for senior pupils to wear a face mask while in the classroom too. Parents are also being asked to comply with new rules on face coverings in regard to educational environments for example when dropping off and picking up children in and around the school grounds. This recommendation is also extended to nursery and early years childcare settings. Where Else Are Face Masks Required? Face masks continue to be introduced to more and more areas of our day to day lives, and the rules differ depending on what area of the UK you reside in. However, all across the UK, the use of a face mask is now compulsory in the following areas: • Supermarkets • Retail outlets • On public transport such as buses, trams and trains • Taxis and private hire vehicles • Restaurants and hospitality venues in any other occasion than when seated at a table, for example when entering and exiting or moving around the setting. Quality Protection It is clear how important the use of face coverings are to protect both ourselves and those around us against COVID-19 and to reduce the spread in order to allow restrictions to ease in the future. At Allied PPE, we offer high-quality, medical-grade Type IIR face masks and FFP2 respirators. Our Type IIR face masks provide a high level of protection with lightweight breathable fabrics that mean they remain comfortable throughout long periods of wear and offer a bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of 99%. We also offer high filtration FFP2 respirators that are again lightweight and very comfortable. We can provide quantities from a single box of 50 right up to bulk orders of millions of units, with immediate delivery anywhere in the UK. To find out more, 0141 959 9999 to speak to us about your requirements or enquire online now.

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