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Yesterday, the Deputy VC & members of the University Executive Board met us to discuss our significant concerns about health & safety arrangements, & the principles we consider necessary before face-to-face work is undertaken.
We received worryingly unsatisfactory responses.
1/ https://twitter.com/sheffielducu/status/1308415678299484162">https://twitter.com/sheffield...
We received worryingly unsatisfactory responses.
1/ https://twitter.com/sheffielducu/status/1308415678299484162">https://twitter.com/sheffield...
In response to our concern that risk assessments are not being implemented or followed, we were told that only one area of concern has been raised so far & that this has since been resolved. They refused to recognise the existence of -or evidence for - a systemic problem.
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In response to the principle that staff not be pressured to be on campus if they feel unsafe, we were told that if the university adopted this, it could not necessarily guarantee enough staff would be willing to offer all of the face-to-face contact it has promised students.
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In response to our request for increased testing, we were informed that university management believes that ‘changing behaviours’ in those with Covid is what will stop the spread, not testing.
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We received no response on how the university would support students beyond the repeated insistence that students wish to be on campus, which, while true for some, ignores the needs of those students who do not feel comfortable on campus.
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Our requests are not unreasonable. They ask the uni to care for staff & students who want/need to be on campus *and* for staff & students who want/need not to be. They ask the uni to implement risk mitigation *before* our community comes together face-to-face, not *after*.
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We have repeatedly & consistently informed management that we do not consider the template risk assessments circulated to departments as fully coherent or sufficient, & that staff have not been provided with adequate support to understand or engage with them.
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Even as of today - one working day before the resumption of face-to-face teaching, there are staff who have not seen local risk assessments for their work area, & in some departments, local risk assessments have not been carried out.
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We are further aware of many work areas where risk assessments are not being followed, or where faculty level interventions have overruled department plans to mitigate risk for staff and students.
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In today’s staff update, the uni has provided staff with a protocol for removing yourself from a situation of serious or imminent danger. We urge staff to review this protocol & contact us if you have any questions.
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