OSHA: Be prepared to protect employees from flu or face enforcement
In testimony before the House Education and Labor Committee Hearing on ensuring preparedness against the flu virus at school and work on May 7, Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of OSHA, made three observations:
- There are plenty of OSHA resources to help employers protect workers who are at high-risk from the new strain of Influenza A (2009-H1N1) virus.
- Because of these resources OSHA expects most healthcare facilities to be fully prepared to provide training, equipment and protection.
- OSHA stands prepared to use its existing authority to aggressively enforce safe work practices to ensure employees receive appropriate protection.
Although OSHA has no influenza-specific exposure standard, in appropriate circumstances the agency will use the General Duty Clause “to ensure that employers follow the practices that public health experts agree are necessary to protect workers,” Barab said.
Click here for OSHA’s Pandemic Influenza Web page.
The committee also heard testimony from Anne Schuchat, acting deputy director for the Science and Public Health Program at the CDC, who emphasized that healthcare workers and emergency responders are at special risk for infection because their jobs “bring them into repeated, close contact with individuals ill with novel H1N1.”
To minimize the effects of the pandemic in the workplace, NIOSH is developing and disseminating guidance on the hierarchy of controls used to reduce exposures, explained Schuchat.
She provided examples of healthcare workplace controls such as:
- Engineering controls: isolation, ventilation and physical barriers
- Administrative and work practice controls: social distancing, telecommuting, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and training.
- Personal protective equipment or PPE: gloves, glasses, gowns, and respiratory protection.
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David LaHoda
David LaHoda, the managing editor of Medical Environment Update and OSHA Watch, has produced healthcare training videos and consulted for medical practices and ambulatory healthcare facilities.
David has written 187 posts.
Comments
To anyone who might listen – Regarding the H1N1 virus:
As the Employee Health Nurse for a large medical center I am concerned that the strong recommendation of N95s for protection rather than surgical masks are putting our employees at a greater risk.
Because N95s are being reused and are difficult to breath through, there is much maneuverings and fidgeting, along with letting the device dangle between patients etc – all this increases the chances that there will be self inoculation from the contaminated exterior.
Clearly, wearing a regular surgical mask allows for being able to breath easier, less maneuverings and fidgeting – plus with less per unit cost and greater availability the willingness to easily toss and obtain a new mask more frequently will be a better thing. If needed, unlike the N95s these regular masks can be worn for extended periods without having to remove to breath.
If suctioning, intubating, respiratory treatments etc are needed: then a N95 with goggles, or a PAPR does make sense.
Please reconsider your suggestions for personal protection so as to actually help protect employees properly.
Thanks, Chris
Chris, I have to disagree. While surgical masks offer protection against large droplets and contact transmission, they offer poor protection from aerosolized viral particles. PPE is not always comfortable – I used to wear a Tyvek suit and half face respirator in a 100+ degree room to prepare dirt samples for analysis. One can only protect onesself and the people we contact by wearing appropriate PPE.
My pet peave is to watch nurses and docs wear gloves while touching the patient and then type on the hospital room computer wearing the same gloves. The next doc/nurse comes along and removes their gloves and washes their hands before typing on the same computer. Then they touch their face and head out the door to the next patient. I watched this as a patient’s advocate in Utah.
Be vigilant but sane about the H1N1!
Nancy
Chris,
I am glad you are not my employee health nurse.
If your employees are not using an N95 mask properly, then you need to conduct an in-service and step up monitoring for compliance, not encourage improper PPE for the situation. Even a fluid-guard surgical mask (rated at N99) does no good if it leaks air along the cheeks or around the chin.
I have to agree with Chris – even SHEA agrees with him and has stated so in their recommendations dated 6/09 and these are the guidelines we’ve chosen to follow. I think that N95 respirators are going to be increasingly difficult to obtain and what sort of message will it send if we tell employees that only PAPR’s and N95’s are appropriate and then as supplies dwindle turn around and say that a surgical mask is sufficient?
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