News
18th November, 2021
Fit-testing update for NEPT staff
The Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated (VAU) has been approached by several members over the last few weeks wanting to know their rights regarding fit testing. With Victoria’s current COVID case-load being so high, members are rightly concerned that the chances of contracting COVID have increased dramatically.
Ambulance staff at all levels have adapted to the ‘new norm’ when it comes to precautionary use of PPE for all patients, and the enhanced PPE requirements when dealing with a known COVID positive case.
Most Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPT) staff, until recently, had not yet been fit-tested for the correct respirator mask for their face shape. Many members questioned the safety of responding to known COVID positive cases without having been fit-tested. The VAU advised members to submit a ‘Service Request’ with WorkSafe if they were asked to attend a COVID positive case before they were fit-tested. At the same time the VAU raised the issue at the weekly COVID consulting group (a ministerial committee) and were encouraged to report to the committee any instances where staff had not been fit-tested.
What’s happening now?
After many VAU members lodged ‘service requests’ with WorkSafe, every company which had not started fit-testing has now had a visit from WorkSafe inspectors. As a result, fit-testing has commenced at National Patient Transport , St. John Ambulance Victoria, and Paramedic Services Victoria. Health Select and Royal Flying Doctor Service were already well into a program of fit-testing prior to this. It is gratifying to know that your voices, in unison, has brought about change. Well done to those members who took the time to lodge those service requests with WorkSafe.
What’s happening next?
By the time this bulletin is distributed, the VAU believes that the majority of NEPT staff will have been fit-tested. Whilst this is positive, the VAU on behalf of its NEPT members, is disappointed that it took more than 18 months, and multiple calls to WorkSafe, before this issue was taken seriously, and testing commenced for the majority of employees in the NEPT sector.
The VAU advises all members to be mindful of their ‘correct’ mask and any others that were deemed a 2nd or 3rd option by the fit-tester. It is obviously very important that you have adequate supplies of the appropriate masks so that ALL staff are as safe as possible when exposed to COVID cases. If your employer does not have adequate supplies of the correct masks for your work-group it is imperative that you approach your Health and Safety Representative (HSR) and request an urgent consultation with management to correct the problem. Once again, if your employer cannot supply the correct mask(s) at this time for whatever reason, you should not be carrying known COVID positive patients. You will need to make dispatchers aware of this at the start of your shift and possibly remind them again in the event that you are dispatched to a positive case. If you are dispatched anyway, we highly recommend submitting an incident report and insist that your HSR consults on how this will be prevented in the future. If there is no satisfactory answer, once again, ask your HSR to contact WorkSafe.
In Solidarity