Face coverings risk assessment for passengers
Request ID: FOI-1504-2021
Date published: 11 November 2020
You asked
The World Health Organisation notes several potential harms due to wearing face coverings:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/advice-on-the-use-of-masks-in-the-community-during-home-care-and-in-healthcare-settings-in-the-context-of-the-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)-outbreak
Here is an extract from page 8 of the pdf document:
"Potential harms/disadvantages
The likely disadvantages of the use of mask by healthy people
in the general public include:
• potential increased risk of self-contamination due to the manipulation of a face mask and subsequently touching eyes with contaminated hands;(48, 49)
• potential self-contamination that can occur if nonmedical masks are not changed when wet or soiled. This can create favourable conditions for microorganism to
amplify;
• potential headache and/or breathing difficulties, depending on type of mask used;
• potential development of facial skin lesions, irritant dermatitis or worsening acne, when used frequently for long hours;(50)
• difficulty with communicating clearly;
• potential discomfort;(41, 51)
• a false sense of security, leading to potentially lower adherence to other critical preventive measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene;
• poor compliance with mask wearing, in particular by young children;
• waste management issues; improper mask disposal leading to increased litter in public places, risk of contamination to street cleaners and environment hazard;
• difficulty communicating for deaf persons who rely on lip reading;
• disadvantages for or difficulty wearing them, especially for children, developmentally challenged persons, those with mental illness, elderly persons with cognitive impairment, those with asthma or chronic respiratory or breathing problems, those who have had facial trauma or recent oral maxillofacial surgery, and those living in hot and humid environments"
Has TfL carried out a risk assessment for passengers taking into account these potential harms?
If the answer is yes, I would like to see this document.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1504-2021
Thank you for your request received on 3 November 2020 asking for information about a risk assessment for face coverings.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require.
We have carried out a number of risk assessments and these are available on our website: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/coronavirus-publications#on-this-page-3
As part of our activities to ensure we provide a safe travelling environment for our customers and a safe working environment for our colleagues, we have implemented the UK government’s requirement for people to wear face coverings in line with the government guidance set out here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
In introducing this requirement, the Government medical and scientific experts considered any potential risks relating to wearing a face covering. The Government guidance sets out situations where wearing a face covering is not appropriate. The TfL response to the pandemic has been to follow the Government direction and the appropriate medical and scientific guidance.
Please note that the link that you have share with us is specifically related to the use of face coverings in clinical and healthcare situations, rather than in a public transport environment. The guidance for healthcare and clinical situations is very different from a public transport environment.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.
If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
[email protected]
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