| | Workplace Planning Topics on this Page
Overview In the event of pandemic influenza, businesses and other employers will play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. Companies that provide critical infrastructure services, such as power and telecommunications, also have a special responsibility to plan for continued operation in a crisis and should plan accordingly. As with any catastrophe, having a contingency plan is essential. Community strategies that delay or reduce the impact of a pandemic (also called non-pharmaceutical interventions) may help reduce the spread of disease until a vaccine is available. HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed guidelines, including checklists, to assist businesses, industries, and other employers in planning for a pandemic outbreak as well as for other comparable catastrophes. Checklists and Letter Community Guidance | CDC guidelines on actions, designed primarily to reduce contact between people, that community government and health officials can take to try to limit the spread of infection should a pandemic flu develop. Appendix 4 contains information for businesses and other employers. |
Critical Infrastructure Guide Employer and Employee Guidance - General Business and Workplace Guidance for the Prevention of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Flu in Workers
Guidance about appropriate precautions and work practices to minimize the risk of potential employee exposure, illness, and the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) flu in the workplace through general prevention and preparedness strategies and in the event that a worker becomes ill. - How to Protect Yourself in the Workplace during a Pandemic, QuickCard (PDF - 27.2 KB) - Spanish (PDF – 40 KB) (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Provides basic hygiene and social distancing precautions that can be used in every workplace to avoid situations that increase the risk of exposure. - What Employers Can Do to Protect Workers from Pandemic Influenza, Fact Sheet (PDF - 47.5 KB) - Spanish (PDF - 40.5 KB) (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Provides employers a set of occupational safety and health controls, "hierarchy controls", to reduce exposures to pandemic influenza in their workplaces. - Healthcare Workplaces Classified as Very High or High Exposure Risk for Pandemic Influenza, What to do to protect workers. Fact Sheet, (PDF – 54.2 KB) Spanish (PDF – 363 KB) (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Provides engineering controls, training practices, administrative controls, and recommended personal protective equipment for workplaces that require workers to have contact with people who are known or suspected to be infected with the pandemic virus. - Protect Yourself, Pandemic Flu Respiratory Protection. Quick Card, (PDF – 26.1 KB) - Spanish (PDF – 38 KB) (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Provides brief information on who needs to wear a respirator and what’s needed for a respiratory protection program. - Respiratory Infection Control: Respirators Versus Surgical Masks. Fact Sheet, (PDF – 1.6 MB) – Spanish (PDF – 1.6 MB) (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Highlights the significant differences between these two types of personal protective equipment. - H1N1 Flu Resources for Businesses and Employers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Obtain guidance for business operations that require close contact with fellow employees and the public. - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-Compliant Employer Preparedness for the H1N1 Flu Virus (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
Find answers to basic questions about workplace preparation strategies for the 2009 H1N1 flu virus (swine flu) that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). - Considerations for Antiviral Drug Stockpiling by Employers in Preparation for an Influenza Pandemic (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Provides guidance to employers on antiviral stockpiling to help protect the health of their employees and to assure continuity of operations. - Proposed Guidance on Stockpiling of Respirators and Facemasks in Occupational Settings (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Interim Guidance on Environmental Management of Pandemic Influenza Virus
CDC guidance on hygiene and use of disinfectants on surfaces frequently touched by hand (equipment, door handles, light switches, etc.). - Provides guidance and recommendations on infection control in the workplace, including information on engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment, such as respirators and surgical masks.
- Learn how employees who may be exposed to avian flu can stay protected.
- Includes flyers and posters, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Chinese, Hmong, and Khmer.
- Basic precautions for protecting employee health.
- Quick Cards for Employees to Protect Yourself from Avian Flu (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Federal Employment Laws
- Workplace Questions (U.S. Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
Information on many of the questions that arise during pandemic planning. The subjects covered include: human resource policies, equal employment and privacy issues, workplace benefits, workplace safety and health issues, and unemployment issues and financial assistance.
Related Links - Read US Chamber of Commerce information about business planning for pandemic flu.
- Provides a preliminary assessment of the risks and potential impact to the global economy and financial system. Includes summary of the common elements of business continuity planning in the financial sector for pandemic risks.
- Read The Business Roundtable's information about business planning for pandemic flu.
|
|
|
|