Which masks should be used at school and when? State shares new COVID-19 guidance
The state Department of Health, Labor and Industries and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction shared health and safety requirements that focused on schools and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) this week.
The guidance identifies what type of masks school workers should wear depending on their duties at school.
Generally, classroom settings are classified as low risk, meaning staff may wear cloth face coverings, but there are some scenarios where staff are in medium or high transmission risk, requiring masks of higher caliber.
In the classroom
Staff working in a regular classroom setting — with students present and where 6 feet of distance is easily maintained — are at low risk of COVID-19 transmission, according to the guidance.
Here, staff should wear reusable cloth face coverings that fully cover the mouth and nose.
School employees who are working in a classroom with no other staff and students present are “negligent” risk and not required to wear a face covering.
Learning in small groups
Staff working in small learning groups — where staff and students mostly, but not always, maintain 6-foot social distancing — are at moderate risk of transmission.
Examples include working with students with disabilities or other students needing one-to-one support or speech language, behavioral support or articulation therapy.
In these settings, employees should wear at least a face shield with a cloth face covering or a non-cloth disposable dust mask, KN95 or “other non-approved, foreign-system NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)-style filtering face piece respirator, or non-FDA approved procedure mask,” the guidance states.
Some staff members might work in small groups that are unable to maintain 6-feet social distancing at all. These staff members are considered at high risk of transmission and should wear N95, R95 or P95 masks.
“If an employer cannot reasonably obtain an approved filtering face piece respirator, then a face shield plus an FDA-approved KN95 mask, dust mask, or procedural mask is an acceptable alternative,” the guidance states.
Office settings
Office settings where staff are expected to interact with others but maintain social distancing is considered a low-risk setting.
In this case, a reusable cloth face covering that fully covers the mouth and nose are required.
If staff is working alone with no interactions, a mask is not required.
Transportation
A bus driver or other staff working to transport students would be considered medium transmission risk, according to the state guidance.
This requires staff to wear non-cloth disposables, such as dust masks, KN95 or a face shield with a cloth face covering.
Workers transporting students who require close proximity of staff may qualify as high risk of transmission, requiring industrial use N95, R95, or P95 masks.
Food service
People working in an indoor kitchen where at least 6 feet of distance is mostly maintained, but with job tasks that require sustained several minutes of 6-foot distance broken several times a day, are considered medium transmission risk, according to the state guidance. That applies to food service workers serving students or cleaning after a meal.
Workers should wear non-cloth disposable masks or a face shield with a cloth face covering.
Food service workers whose tasks allow for at least 6-foot distance to be easily maintained full time and only broken intermittently, in passing, would be considered low transmission risk. These workers can wear cloth face coverings.
Health and isolation rooms
Isolation rooms are areas where students are taken if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms while at school.
Staff working in these settings are considered extremely high risk for transmission, requiring them to wear FDA-approved surgical masks, N95 filtering face piece respirators or elastomeric respirators with particulate filters, the guidance states.
Face shields, eye goggles and non-permeable disposable upper body coverings can add protection.
Distribution centers
Distribution centers used to prepare and distribute items such as meals, student learning packets or technology have generally been held outside with few or no students present, according to the state.
“Interaction is limited between employees and the public, with the public remaining in their vehicles to access services and supplies,” the guidance states.
Workers are at a low risk of transmission, allowing for cloth face coverings.
Some tasks might require breaking 6-foot social distancing several times a day and are at medium risk of transmission, requiring staff to wear non-cloth disposables, such as a dust mask or a KN95.
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
