PPE: To wear or not to wear?
Travelers boarding a plane nowadays find themselves face-to-face with the ‘new normal’ of flying - from masked fellow passengers to the crew whose designer uniforms including the makeup and hairdos of stewardesses, are now totally camouflaged behind PPE, face shields and covers.
In this backdrop, the recent letter from the Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) sent to the Director General of Health Services to consider; ‘removing the requirement for airline crew who are fully vaccinated to wear PPE’ has drawn considerable flak from the Flight Attendants Union (FAU) of Sri Lankan Airlines.
The President of FAU Sidath Dedigama, whilst expressing dismay, said ““At the onset we wish to state in no uncertain terms that the FAU as a responsible Union will take all measures, lawfully available, to protect the crew, the general public and specifically the passengers and the children under the age of 12 who are not vaccinated that you are callously attempting to place in grave danger,” Going on to add “Vaccinated or not, Crew can get infected, carry the virus, and infect others. We also wish to state that the FAU wholeheartedly supports responsible tourism, wherein primarily the citizens of our nation are protected and the tourist who travel to Sri Lanka are truly protected. Tourists need to understand that they are travelling to a destination that has taken precautions to protect them from COVID-19, instead of letting our guard down and placing them in grave danger.”
The risk of in-flight transmission of the coronavirus has been hotly debated since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the present day situation, full vaccination with the recommended schedule of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine more than 2 weeks prior to the flight indicates a high probability (note: probability – not guarantee) of sufficient protection against infection. Although the risk now is relatively low, transmission during a flight cannot be excluded even though all passengers and members of crew who interact with them on-board are fully vaccinated. The duration of flight (longer than 5 hours) are more of concern due to prolonged stay in the same space, multiple meals offered, and passenger’s need to move around – to go to the toilet or for wellbeing, etc. Furthermore, given the current uncertainty in terms of the effectiveness of different vaccines in preventing the transmission of infection to others, particularly in the context of the confinement within a limited space, a precautionary approach is undeniably warranted.
The health and safety of staff is paramount- Not only for their own protection but also to help prevent the spread of the virus and maintain safety. As the FAU president noted, “wearing PPE for long hours in an airplane is not an easy task, but we don such PPE, not by choice but because it is a lifesaving necessity. We will be the first to doff the PPE when it is opportune and safe not only for us but also the passenger”.
Yes, as flight attendants would confirm, working in PPE is definitely challenging. One perspires continuously, while carrying out even simple tasks is tougher. However, it provides air crew the mental peace that they are safe, and this helps alley the constant fears of the families who pray for the safe return of their loved ones - whenever they leave home to work on a flight.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, trainer, ex-hotelier
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