They no longer call it swine flu, but the new strain of influenza we started hearing about last spring is still with us. And in any case, more typical strains of flu remain a threat to health.
Whether it’s the H1N1 virus that has raised concerns about a pandemic, or any other flu virus, there remains the risk of its transmission at work. OSHA is trying to raise awareness of various controls employers can use to reduce their people’s exposure. The basic types of controls are:
• Engineering controls.
• Administrative controls.
• Work practices.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE).
OSHA suggests that employers use a combination of control methods to help prevent the spread of pandemic influenza. Each type of measure has pros and cons in terms of effectiveness and cost. Now is a good time to consider which kinds of measures your business might employ as the flu season takes hold.
Engineering controls involve making changes to the workplace itself. These controls tend to be the most effective because they make permanent changes that reduce exposure and do not rely on changes in workers’ or customers’ behavior. Examples would include installing filtration systems or physical barriers that would prevent the transmission of the virus. For cleaning contractors working on multiple sites, this approach may have limited value.
Administrative controls are those that modify workers’ work schedules and tasks in ways that minimize their exposure. Examples include creating policies that encourage ill workers to stay at home without fear of reprisals, discontinuing non-essential travel to locations with high incidence of flu, developing emergency communications plans, and maintaining a forum for answering workers’ concerns.
Work practices encompass procedures for safe and proper work that help reduce the duration, frequency or intensity of exposure. When defining safe work practices, it is a good idea to ask workers for their suggestions, since they have firsthand experience with the tasks. Managers, supervisors and laborers then need to understand and follow any practices that are established. Examples include:
• Providing resources that promote personal hygiene (such as providing tissues, no-touch trash cans, hand soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectants and disposable towels for people to clean their work surfaces).
• Encouraging workers to get a seasonal influenza vaccination.
• Providing workers with up-to-date education and training on influenza risk factors and protective behaviors (cough etiquette; avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; and proper care of PPE).
• Providing education and training materials in an easy-to-understand format and in the appropriate languages and literacy levels.
• Developing procedures to minimize contact between workers, and between workers and clients.
Personal protective equipment includes respirators, face shields, goggles and disposable gloves. The use of PPE may be indicated during certain exposure situations and during emergencies. The appropriate types of PPE for use during a pandemic must be based on the risk of contracting influenza while working and the availability of PPE. It is important for PPE to be:
• Selected based upon the hazard to the worker.
• Properly fitted (and for some items, such as respirators, periodically refitted).
• Conscientiously and properly worn.
• Regularly maintained and replaced in line with manufacturer specifications.
• Properly removed and disposed of.
• If reusable, properly removed, cleaned, disinfected and stored.
Used correctly, PPE can help prevent some exposure, but it should not take the place of other prevention methods just described.
For more information on what employers can do to protect workers, refer to OSHA Publication No. 3327, Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic, available at: www.osha.gov. You can also consult www.pandemicflu.gov to get current, detailed information about all aspects of pandemic influenza.
