Masks will become mandatory safety equipment for the performance of work duties, similar to builder helmets, which is why they should be provided by the employer, the Inspectorate explained.
Only employees working alone in their office will be allowed to not wear masks. One of the few exceptions is electronic media, where employees may also not use masks during broadcasting.
Several companies surveyed by Latvian Television said that such arrangements had been introduced in their company even before the government adopted amendments to the rules. Masks are part of daily work both at Latvian wood processing company Latvijas finieris with 2,000 employees and a small audio hardware shop with six employees.
The VDI doesn't plan to conduct specific raids to control the use of masks. However, in the future, the inspection will also focus on this aspect when assessing labor protection measures in companies.
