No I'm not disagreeing with the hse ...infact I totally agree....
I am positive it's mostly spread by touching objects then touching your eyes but the fact of the matter is ....if you are on a confined space within 1 or 2 meters of a person for more than 15 minutes then you are at risk ....that is also hse guidelines....I think ther are a cople on here who are bending the rules so they can justify makin a few bob when they have to realise at some level that they are putting themselves at risk .....wats that phrase that lipp uses ....." cognitive dissonance " I believe
You are at risk... correct. That doesn't mean you will contract it simply by being within 1.98 metres of the carrier. It means there's some chance that they will cough directly into your eyes, mouth or nose or that they will leave the virus on a surface that you will subsequently touch, etc... Risk means it's possible regardless of how improbable. You can, of course, reduce the risk by following HSE guidelines on hand hygiene surface disinfection.
HSE don't seem to attach much risk (of course there is some) to a direct hit from a cough as they conclude that:
https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/protect-yourself.htmlUsing masks is unlikely to be of any benefit if you are not sick.