The German social accident insurance institutions for the public and private sectors have been receiving more and more enquiries about the use of masks. Many of these enquires are related to the concern that wearing masks can be dangerous to a person’s health. The source of these enquiries appear to be rumours spreading in the social networks. These rumours can be traced back to a lawyer who is active in the context of a movement that opposes the measures taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
His main message is that European regulations concerning the use of respirators at work prohibit the use of face coverings (aka community masks) in workplaces and schools. As proof, he cites documents allegedly published by the DGUV.
An enquiry from a Spanish journalist indicates that these rumours are currently crossing borders and language barriers. In order for you to be prepared for possible enquiries from local media, concerned citizens and employers, we would like to inform you that:
– The DGUV has not banned the wearing of community masks in German workplaces and schools.
– The DGUV has not published or funded a study that provides evidence for grave health hazards for children and adolescents associated with the wearing of community or surgical masks.
In order to repudiate said rumours, the DGUV has published two press releases on its website, which are now available in English:
Facts on masks:
https://www.dguv.de/en/mediencenter/pm/presse_detail_en_411780.jsp
Facts on liability:
https://www.dguv.de/en/mediencenter/pm/presse_detail_en_412353.jsp
The information on liability also applies in the case of employers. We have decided to focus primarily on schools because the majority of enquiries come from teachers and parents. We hope that this information will help you in case of enquiries. If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to contact my colleagues and me at the DGUV media relations department.
Best regards
Stefan Boltz
Media relations officer
German Social Accident Insurance
Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e.V. (DGUV)
Glinkastraße 40, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 13001-1410 Mobile: +49 174 1795682
https://www.dguv.de
