Masks at work: what happens from now on

The word obligation is not there, but what is in the text on which trade unions and ministries have discussed is more than advice on the use of masks. “The use of Ffp2 masks remains an important safeguard for the protection of the health of workers for the purpose of preventing contagion»Reads the agreement signed at the Ministry of Labor by all the social parties. It is valid for closed places, for those open to the public and in particular for those where the distance of one meter between people cannot be respected.

The protocol will be in effect until October 31 unless there are changes in the pandemic situation. It provides that the employer ensures the availability of Ffp2 in order to allow workers to use them in higher-risk contexts and require workers to use them “in higher-risk contexts and, in any case, in all workplaces and in all company areas, without any exclusion, where no the maintenance of the interpersonal distance of at least one meter is guaranteed as an organizational measure for the prevention of infections and as an obligation that is incumbent on all people who, for whatever reason, are in such environments or in such areas “.

The strong recommendation is not for masks in general, but specifically points to Ffp2. The previous protocol indicated instead an obligation «in all cases of sharing of work environments, indoors or outdoors ”, but did not specify the type of masks.

The protocol is general. It is then the individual companies to decline it based on the working context and to decide whether to make the constraint to wear the Ffp2 mask even more stringent. There may also be specific indications for some workers who perform tasks considered more at risk than others. The occupational doctor must also intervene.

It is specified that i fragile workers they can have easier access to agile work even if there is no longer a state of emergency linked to the pandemic. Agile work also represents in the current situation, “a useful tool to counter the spread of the contagion from Covid-19, especially with reference to fragile workers, most exposed to the risks deriving from the disease” and also that “the employer establishes, having heard the competent doctor, specific preventive and organizational measures for fragile workers “. The rules for fragile workers will remain in effect until 31 December 2022.

There remains a ban on entering the workplace with a fever of 37.5. The employer can take the temperature of employees and those who enter the company. He must also make hand sanitizer products available. Ventilation must remain in the common areas and access to these areas must be restricted, for example the canteen.

– Long Covid, with Omicron even more cases

– Omicron 5, with which symptoms the variant that will soon predominate in Italy manifests itself