ethics discussion to the next level

[John Musselwhite]

At 10:03 AM 10/08/04 +0100, Alan wrote:

>I have a few customers who insist on shoes being removed before entering 
>their houses, so be prepared!

In Calgary it is the norm for footwear to be removed upon entering a home. 
Because of that  I always wear slip-on shoes (polished and in good 
condition inside too) and in the winter carry little knit slippers that fit 
in my coat pocket if I need them.

I understand that some techs who cannot (or will not) remove their shoes 
carry slip-on booties that go over their shoes like they wear in hospital 
operating rooms. They're available at medical supply stores or on the net.

As for hand-washing,  there is a fast-drying alcohol-based hand sanitizer 
gel called "Purel" that many nursing homes and hospitals insist you use 
before entering the building. Keep a small bottle in the car and get in the 
habit of washing your hands with it before *and after* you tune in a 
customer's home. People are notorious for not washing their hands before 
they play and the keyboard can carry all kinds of nasty germs. If you don't 
clean the keys, especially this winter when flu shots are in short supply, 
at least sanitize your hands when finished to prevent the spread of germs 
to yourself and your next customer.

Oh... and if you can get a flu shot I highly recommend it. We are in a 
fairly high-risk occupation since we could be in a home with young children 
in the morning and a senior's home later in the day. With Influenza killing 
tens of thousands of people every year in the USA it's good insurance, not 
only for your customers, but to help prevent the loss of a few weeks work 
(or your life!) in your busiest season if you get it.

                 John