Union fears about masks

A TOWNSVILLE nurses’ union rep has urged all of the district’s frontline nurses to ensure they have been fit tested for PPE as concerns are raised over ill-fitting g masks.

It comes as the e Queensland Nurses s Union and Midwives’ (QNMU) s takes Queensland Health to the state’s s Industrial Relations s Commission over r the issue.

The union has s stated that it has had d no assurances from health officials that fit testing and checking of respiratory protection equipment, including high-filtration face masks, is being carried out effectively across the state’s public hospitals.

Townsville QNMU organiser Nicola de Jongh ( pictured) said she had been told by the hospital that Townsville nurses were ahead of the pack.

“(Townsville) is going along very well, I’ve been told they have been fit testing nurses for the PPE masks for the last six months,” Ms de Jongh said,

“However, what Queensland Nurses’ and Midwifery union gripe is they’ve been asked since last year …. to provide information on the fit testing and share it with the unions.

“But the information not been forthcoming.”

High-filtration masks, known as P2/N95 respirators, are recommended for protecting health workers treating COVID-19 positive patients, an and people suspecte ted as having the vi virus, the union sa says.

QNMU secre retary Beth Mohle sa said the QNMU h had called on Q u e e n s l a n d H Health to provide an audit of the nu numbers of workers being fit tested, the type of fit testing undertaken and who was carrying out the fit testing.

She said the response from the department had been “inadequate”.

“Let’s hope they do get the audits done and get the information to use quickly,” Ms de Jongh said. “We are keeping an eye on it at the moment and making sure they are doing the right thing.”

There are about 2500 nurses within the Townsville Hospital and Health Service, which spans from Cardwell to south of Home Hill, and past Richmond.

Ms de Jongh said she had been informed in formal meetings that there was “absolutely adequate” amounts of PPE masks in all sizes available to staff. has