The fact sheets inform employers and workers about ways to reduce the risk of exposure to the 2009 H1N1 virus at work. Separate fact sheets for health care workers, who carry out tasks and activities that require close contact with 2009 H1N1 patients, contain additional precautions.
“Protecting our nation’s workers is OSHA’s top priority,” said Jordan Barab, the agency’s acting assistant secretary. “These fact sheets are tools we have developed to help ensure America’s workers stay healthy and our businesses remain viable. OSHA’s new fact sheets will help all employers identify appropriate actions to protect their workers.”
OSHA’s Workplace Safety and H1N1 Web site provides easy-to-understand information appropriate for all workplaces and more extensive guidance for those involved in higher risk health care activities. The fact sheets are advisory in nature and informational in content. They address:
- Hand hygiene;
- Cough etiquette;
- Developing policies for sick workers;
- Controls for health care facilities;
- Personal protective equipment;
- Planning for social distancing;
- Workplace controls;
- Safe work practices for health care workers; and more.
As new information about the 2009 H1N1 virus becomes available, these workplace fact sheets will be updated. OSHA advises employers and workers to review the site often to ensure they have the most up-to-date information when making decisions about their operations and planning.
