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Printing Instructions |
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Mass Care Shelter Occupational Hazards |
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An Incident of National Significance (INS) can create challenges to the
security, safety and health of persons who work in mass care shelters: federal
or state employees, their contractors and employees of non-governmental
organizations (NGO). To reduce work-related injuries and illnesses, shelter
staff and their employers/sponsors should anticipate, recognize, and
reduce/eliminate occupational hazards in mass care shelters. Below are some of
the potential occupational hazards that may develop after a shelter has been set
up. The link below contains an audit tool for daily use by shelter staff or the
designated safety official or designee. Each sheltering situation will be
unique, depending on the INS. Mass care shelters are temporary public living
quarters that provide physical shelter, feeding and first aid. This type of
shelter does not provide specialized medical care.
| Safety |
Health |
Security |
| Slips, trips and falls |
Biological/chemical exposures
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Check-in/check-out |
| Musculoskeletal injuries |
Communicable diseases/infections |
Safe driving/commuting |
| Electrical hazards |
Bloodborne pathogens |
Criminal acts |
| Sharp materials |
Sleep/rest cycle disruption |
Emergency evacuation |
| Animal/insect bites/stings |
Traumatic stress |
Violence in the workplace |
| Heat/cold stress |
Food and water contamination |
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| Fire hazards |
Aggravation of
pre-existing health conditions |
| Generator fumes (carbon
monoxide) |
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This guidance is advisory in nature and informational in content. It is not a
standard or a regulation, and it neither creates new legal obligations nor
alters existing obligations created by OSHA standards or the Occupational Safety
and Health Act (OSH Act). Pursuant to the OSH Act, employers must comply with
hazard-specific safety and health standards as issued and enforced either by
OSHA or by an OSHA-approved State Plan. In addition, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH
Act, the General Duty Clause, requires employers to provide their employees with
a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious
physical harm. Employers can be cited for violating the General Duty Clause if
there is a recognized hazard and they do not take reasonable steps to prevent or
abate the hazard. However, failure to implement any recommendations in this
guidance is not, in itself, a violation of the General Duty Clause. Citations
can only be based on standards, regulations, or the General Duty Clause. |
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Occupational
Safety and Health
Administration |
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