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Dirty job

Firstly I planned publish it on my facebook, but after that I paste it here too.
It is worth wearing masks. They are cool. As for gloves – I’ve always done all kinds of work in them, so I’m used to it.
It is a pity that they went up so much compared to the time before the pandemic. I usually bought a package for 9 PLN and now you have to spend 60 or more. If it goes on like that, I won’t be able to wash the dishes, and we know that disposable gloves are disposable.

Well, you have to use it only ONCE. Just ONCE.

People who do not understand the use of personal protective equipment are forced to use them. And while there is a lot of talk about how to do it correctly (if you do not know – you can find a lot of yt movie about that), There is absolutely nothing about what to do once you wear out, e.g. gloves or masks. And these are everywhere. On the sidewalks, near the carts in the store, on the side of the road, it’s full of trash.

If we are to stick to safety procedures and actually dress as if they are in a contaminated zone, then we should treat protection measures as biologically contaminated waste. But there is no red containers for this type of waste (maybe outside the clinic and hospital – because the law orders there), or at least containers for ordinary garbage with a secure lid (because we should not use open ones). And even if they are somewhere, they are open, full and the wind blows out light foil gloves that they give out at the market. And there are far too few of them and they are far too rarely distributed.

Has anyone thought to at least secure the typical Mr. Andy garbage man from this? Let’s look at him. Suppose you follow the Health and Safety regulations and politely wear rubber gloves and a reflective vest. This is where his security ends. He takes off his gloves anyhow (touching the contaminated surface with his hand), because who would want to do it correctly and eat breakfast. He dresses them again, works for another 2-3 hours in full sun. Then it turns out that he gets too hot in them, so he removes and collects this – remember – contaminated waste, in the same way as usual, he collected normal garbage, after which he takes a break for a cigarette and rather before firing, he does not wash his hands because there is a lot where and if it is necessary to go especially to wash your hands, who would want to. Cigarette burned, trampled on, you keep walking, it repeats over the next two weeks.

It is true that one says about health and safety training for this type of employees about biological waste such as handkerchiefs, condoms, dressings, so maybe he will pay attention to it, but since everyone is wearing masks or gloves, the probability of infection is low. So… who cares. But he picks them up a lot.

Apart from the situation that they make you wear masks at work – but there are not enough of them. A wet mask is a thousand times worse than no mask and if the medics change “after each change of patient or every 15 min” (or at least the health and safety regulations say – now with low availability maybe extended) people have to walk all day. And instead of removing the mask when going to breakfast, throw it in the garbage or wrap it in a pouch and take it for washing – put it back on. The question is whether they wash their hands before removing the masks and putting them on (and eating) – I hope so much.

I heard arguments like “he won’t be infected by himself.” It may not be infected by a virus, but in moist and warm bacteria, fungi and other pathogens are willing to grow. Viruses stay longer if they get in. In favorable conditions, even a week after exposure. Even a week.

It is a matter of time how Mr. Andy will become a carrier and begin to infect, only because the government has introduced a stupid recipe and did not manage to refine it – for example, to provide a safe way to dispose of waste or ensure adequate availability of products.

It’s a farce like these correspondence elections. I wear the mask anyway, because I like it and now at least I don’t look like dressing it up like a moron or suffering from cancer – but I know that the whole thing is a happening rather than a prophylaxis. By the way, the state will obey its citizens and introduce a law that it would not otherwise introduce.

What I can recommend – if you do not have the right baskets at your disposal – just wrap it in a breakfast bag and hang it before you dry it (even in a home basket – you can collect a pair in a separate bag). In this way, any sorting or collecting garbage (because the basket will fall over, because the wind will blow) will expose you a little less. Or just throw it home confused.

What I can recommend – if you do not have the appropriate trash bins at your disposal – just wrap in a breakfast bag and tie a knot before throwing it away (even into a home trash can – you can collect a few into a separate bag). In this way, employees sorting or collecting garbage (because the basket will fall over, because the wind blows) will be less exposed. Or just throw it at home for mixed waste.