Dear Brother / Sister
OFFICIAL GUIDANCE FOR INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL (COVID-19)
On 27 March 2020, documentation was issued jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Public Health Wales (PHW), Public Health Agency (PHA) Northern Ireland, Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and Public Health England as official guidance. The guidance is titled: Guidance for infection prevention and control in healthcare settings - adapted from Pandemic Influenza: Guidance for Infection prevention and control in healthcare settings 2020
Though written with healthcare workers in mind, there is a direct read-across for other workers, including firefighters, whose health and safety is no less important than that of our brothers and sisters working as healthcare professionals.
Members may wish to review the guidance to ensure that you are aware of the current advice. This circular does not replicate or paraphrase the guidance but draws members’ attention to the fact that it has been issued. Particular attention is drawn to:
Section 5.4 dealing with PPE
- Section 6.5 dealing with Aerosol-generating procedures
- Section 6.7 dealing with handling dead bodies
Fire and rescue services will have issued information to personnel, however with the fast-moving nature of the current crisis, the volume of information being published, and the changes to the way that fire and rescue services are having to operate due to the guidance issued by the governments in the UK, there is a likelihood of such information not being updated as quickly as any of us would have liked.
We hope this will be of assistance to members.
Best wishes.
Yours fraternally
ANDY DARK
Assistant General Secretary
