Improved protections a big step forward
AUPE, along with the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), and the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) have agreed to an updated Joint Statement with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Covenant Health related to safe and effective use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
You can read a copy of the Joint Statement here.
You will recall that we initially signed a Joint Statement in March, 2020, which was updated in March, 2021.
This updated agreement provides for major improvements to the minimum protections available to you when you are interacting with suspected, presumed, or confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Effective immediately, the new normal in these cases will be the use of N95 fit-tested respirators. While a worker might perform their PCRA or hazard/risk assessment and decide to use a procedure mask as opposed to an N95 respirator, this will be the exception rather than the rule. We strongly recommend in these situations that workers maintain the higher-level protection that a N95 respirator provides.
This update aligns with recently updated guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which acknowledges the evidence of airborne transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
We believe that this is a big step forward to protect your safety at work and hope that it helps reduce concerns you may have, particularly as the Omicron variant presents itself as yet another challenge.
We want to take this opportunity to thank you, again, for your work over the past 21 months. We want to acknowledge the significant sacrifices you have made to keep the health-care system that Albertans rely on operating through a pandemic that none of us could have foreseen would be so devastating and last so long.
Remember that, as an AUPE member, you and your immediate family have access to free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call AUPE’s Crisis Support Service line at 1-844-744-7026. This service is available even if the crisis is not work-related.
Watch your e-mail in the new year for updates on bargaining and, in the meantime, we want to extend to you and yours all the best wishes of the season. Take care and stay safe.