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Anyone over 55 is not, by definition, a fragile worker. This was reiterated by the Minister of Education Lucía Azzolina during a speech on Radio 24.
Being over 55 is not enough to be a fragile worker
Next, the minister takes up the inter-ministerial note dedicated to fragile workers: “Being over 55 years old does not mean being fragile,” said Azzolina, who then explained the conditions for calling himself a fragile worker: “It is necessary to have previous pathologies of some importance. The equation that was made is incorrect. The figures that were read, 300,000 teachers, do not correspond to the truth. There is a procedure to determine if a worker is fragile and if he needs to be placed under special surveillance. Some inaccuracies have circulated“.
Although until July 31, 2020, agile work could be carried out and for the 2019/2020 state exams the fragile teacher could interact remotely, for the resumption of the school year this type of service was withdrawn from the August Dl.
It must also be said that the concept of fragile worker has also changed with the “Operational indications for the management of cases and outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in schools and in early childhood education services”.
According to the latest OECD style, in Italy it would be 40% staff between ATA and teachers over 55 years of age. Then, about 400 thousand school workers, who on the threshold of retirement, with the increase in infections, will soon be called to return to classes. And that a large number could resort to the state of illness, especially if they are in some way precarious health conditions (but not enough to produce a request for exemption to return to the workplace). Even if, as the Minister reiterates, the requirement to pass the age of 55 cannot be sufficient on its own.
The circular on fragile workers
According to the circular in question, as we have already reported, the concept of frailty must be identified in those conditions of the worker / worker’s state of health with respect to pre-existing pathologies that could determine, in the event of contagion, a more serious or fatal outcome and that they can evolve. based on new scientific knowledge, both epidemiological and clinical.
It follows from this that, with specific reference to age, this parameter alone is not a sufficient element to define a state of frailty in working age groups.
Therefore, the “greater frailty” in the older age groups of the population must be understood together with the presence of comorbidities that may integrate a condition of greater risk.
The procedure for requesting surveillance measures of the fragile worker in the school
Workers should be guaranteed the possibility of requesting the employer to activate appropriate health surveillance measures, due to the! ” exposure to the risk of SARS-CoV-2, in the presence of pathologies with low clinical awareness (for example, cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic diseases).
Requests for visits must be accompanied by medical documentation related to the diagnosed pathology, to support the evaluation of the competent physician.
Even if employers are not obliged to designate the competent doctor to carry out health surveillance (for example, in some cases, schools), the worker should have the possibility to request the employer to activate measures adequate health surveillance.
In the latter case, without prejudice to the possibility that the employer designates the competent doctor in any case, at the request of the worker. The employer can send the worker to visit public bodies and specialized institutions of public law, including:
- INAIL, which has activated a specific procedure for this protection, making use of its own territorial structures;
- local health authorities;
- the university departments of forensic medicine and occupational medicine.
The employer must provide the doctor in charge of issuing a sentence with a detailed description of the work performed by the worker and the workplace / workplace where the activity is carried out, as well as information regarding the integration of the risk assessment document. , in particular with reference to the prevention and protection measures adopted to mitigate the risk of SARS-CoV-2.
THE CIRCULAR ON FRAGILE WORKERS
