Scenario: Your business is in the middle of flu season and many employees are calling in sick. Two of the employees are claiming that they have been diagnosed by their doctors with the H1N1 flu. They say they contracted the flu at work from a co-worker who was also diagnosed with the H1N1. The two employees want you to record their illnesses because they say they got the flu at work.
Question: Are you required to record these flu related illnesses?
Answer: The OSHA standard states that the common cold or flu are not recordable. However, OSHA recently (Early December 2009) posted this statement on the very bottom of the Recordkeeping page of the OSHA website:
H1N1: Employers are responsible for recording cases of 2009 H1N1 illness if all of the following requirements are met:
(1) the case is a confirmed case of 2009 H1N1 illness as defined by CDC;
(2) the case is work-related as defined by 1904.5; and
(3) the case involves one or more of the recording criteria set forth in 1904.7 (e.g., medical treatment, days away from work). Per CPL-02-02-075.
Note: This recording criteria applies to all establishments covered by PART 1904.
Flu is reported in Kentucky to be widespread according to the CDC and state health officials. Liberty Elementary School in Oldham County, KY was closed for two days on September 25 and September 28 because approximately 40% of the students were absent with flu like symptoms. The CDC is already reporting an earlier occurrence and higher rate of flu when compared to last year.
What is a Pandemic?
A pandemic is a global disease outbreak and is caused by a new virus for which there is no immunity or immediately available vaccination. It is easily spread from person-to-person by breathing droplets from someone with the disease who coughs or sneezes. It is also spread by touching a surface with the virus on it, such as a faucet, a door knob, a handle or switch on machinery, a telephone, and other surfaces and then touching your own mouth, nose, or eyes.
How Could a Pandemic Affect My Company?
An outbreak of the flu in your workplace can have serious effects on your business. Of course there are lost work days and lower productivity to consider, but there are other less obvious factors, such as health insurance ramifications due to increased claims, disability insurance claims, unexpected overtime for employees picking up the work for sick co-workers, low employee morale, loss of overall business and income, and many more.
A pandemic is predicted to affect up to 40% of the workforce. Could your business continue to operate with up to 40% of its employees absent for several weeks either because they are ill, they are caring for family members, or their children’s schools are closed? Absenteeism will be a critical issue.
During a pandemic, some of your customers may not require your products or services resulting in economic loss. A severe pandemic is predicted to generally reduce a company’s revenue by 8%. The global economy on the whole could be affected with disruptions in travel, food production and distribution, transportation, financial markets, etc. Would your company survive such a pandemic?
How Can My Company Prepare?
There are several steps that can be taken now to prevent or lessen the threat of the flu in your workplace.
Communicate or establish your influenza preparedness plan.
Conduct an exercise of your plan to see if it needs modifications to be effective.
Allow sick workers to stay home whenever possible without fear of losing their jobs.
Pay for flu (available now) and/or H1N1 (available in October) for your employees, but do not force anyone to do so.
Post notices on bulletin boards reminding employees to wash their hands and cover their mouths when they cough. These are two of the most important actions that anyone can take to prevent transmitting the flu virus.
Keep meetings in enclosed rooms to a minimum.
Provide disinfectants, such as antibacterial wipes or gels, available by machines shared with others, in rest rooms, by telephones, in receptions rooms, and other common areas.
Have facial tissues available through the workplace.
Provide gloves, respirators, or other appropriate PPE.
Develop or revise flexible leave policies to allow workers to stay home to care for sick children and other family members or to care for children who must stay home because schools are closed.
What are the Components of a Preparedness Plan?
All businesses are encouraged to have a workable plan to protect against disruptions caused by absenteeism, delivery of products, loss of business, etc. that will ensure the continuity of the business. Here are some excellent sources to help you develop your plan:
Since we last reported on the swine flu (now better known as H1N1) threat in the workplace in our May 2009 Newsletter, there has been increased emphasis from the federal government for businesses to be prepared for widespread seasonal and H1N1 flu. All sized organizations are being asked to have a plan to protect their workers and to maintain the continuity of their operations.
On August 19, Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issued an OSHA National News Release stressing the need for businesses to plan and respond to the upcoming flu season. Mr. Locke said: “The President has mobilized the federal government to get America prepared. But the government can’t do it alone. For this effort to be successful, we need the business community to do its part.”
A further statement was issued by Janet Napolitano in September reiterating the importance of small business in the fight against seasonal flu and H1N1. Her letter is contained in an in depth document published in FLU.gov entitled “Planning for 2009 H1N1 Influenza: A Preparedness Guide for Small Business” .
But the importance of the issue goes beyond protecting US workers. President Obama issued a press release on September 17 in which he announced his stance that the US must be a leader in stopping the global spread of H1N1. As stated in the press release: “…the United States will continue to act aggressively to stop the global spread of the pandemic 2009-H1N1 influenza virus and is prepared to make 10 percent of its H1N1 vaccine supply available to other countries through the World Health Organization (WHO).”
More news is received daily on the H1N1 swine flu and its spread throughout the world. Although this flu outbreak is not at pandemic levels yet, it could happen. Companies should prepare by developing plans for protecting both their employees and their business operations.
What is a Pandemic?
A pandemic is a global disease outbreak and is caused by a new virus for which there is no immunity or immediately available vaccination. It is easily spread from person-to-person by breathing droplets from someone with the disease who coughs or sneezes. It is also spread by touching a surface with the virus on it, such as a faucet, a door knob, a handle or switch on machinery, a telephone, and other surfaces and then touching your own mouth, nose, or eyes.
How Could a Pandemic Affect My Company? An outbreak of the flu in your workplace can have serious effects on your business. Of course there are lost work days and lower productivity to consider, but there are other less obvious factors, such as health insurance ramifications due to increased claims, disability insurance claims, unexpected overtime for employees picking up the work for sick co-workers, low employee morale, loss of overall business and income, and many more. A pandemic is predicted to affect up to 40% of the workforce. Could your business continue to operate with up to 40% of its employees absent for several weeks either because they are ill, they are caring for family members, or their children’s schools are closed?
During a pandemic, some of your customers may not require your products or services resulting in economic loss. A severe pandemic is predicted to generally reduce a company’s revenue by 8%. The global economy on the whole could be affected with disruptions in travel, food production and distribution, transportation, financial markets, etc. Would your company survive such a pandemic?
What Steps Can My Company Take to Prevent Flu at Our Workplace? As a concerned employer, you can take steps to lessen the threat of the flu at your workplace. There is no assurance that the following suggestions will prevent an outbreak, but by taking some of these actions, you may be able to minimize the risks.
Post notices on bulletin boards reminding employees to wash their hands frequently when in the rest room, break room, and cafeteria, etc. and to follow other good hygiene habits, such as covering their mouths when coughing or their noses when sneezing.
Keep meetings in enclosed rooms to a minimum.
Make disinfectants, such as antibacterial wipes or gel, available by machines shared with others, in rest rooms, by telephones, in reception rooms, and in other common areas.
Have facial tissues available throughout the workplace.
Provide gloves, respirators, or other appropriate PPE.
Communicate your infectious disease policy to everyone, if you have one.
Let it be known that sick employees should stay home whenever possible.
Clean work surfaces often, such as telephones, counters, machine handles.
Educate your employees on the symptoms of the flu through posters or information in employees’ paychecks.
How Should My Company Protect Its Business Operations? This is a difficult question with many answers depending on the type of business. However, companies would be wise to develop continuity plans to protect against disruptions caused by absenteeism, delivery of products, loss of business, etc. Some of these actions may be possible for your company:
Cross train employees so they can fill in for one another due to absenteeism.
Examine your operations to see if work tasks can be combined, delayed, or even eliminated.
Have other sources of delivery and transportation available, such as delivering products yourself rather than using a transportation company.
Use telecommuting instead of face-to-face meetings or conferences.
Have enough savings to continue to pay your bills in case revenue severely declines or it is necessary to totally cease operations for a period of time.
To download a checklist for how a pandemic flu may affect your business, click here:
The Obama admnistration declares health emergency. Department of Homeland Security Head Janet Napolitano said to free up resources to deal with the Swine Flu.Links to health alerts and information below. Lead Swine Flu Alerts updated constantly at the website…
Here’s a frightening statistic; after the age of 30 we lose .66 pounds of muscle every year. That means by the age of 40 we will have lost 6.6 pounds of muscle. The news gets even worse - when we hit 50 years of age the loss of muscle increases to 1.1 pounds per year. That means by the time you retire at the age of 60 you could potentially loose 24 pounds of muscle.
What does that really mean for you and your health? More muscle means a higher metabolism (you get to eat more without gaining weight). Studies show that a pound of muscle burns between 30 – 50 calories per day, whereas a pound of fat only burns 2 calories per day. In addition, it has been shown that increasing your muscles mass improves the efficiency in which your body uses sugar (which decreases your odds of getting diabetes) and decreases blood pressure (a risk factor for strokes).
What can you do to increase your muscle mass and improve your health at the same time? Start by lifting light to moderate weights two times per week. A good place to begin is at your local YMCA or fitness center. They usually offer weight lifting classes that will teach you proper technique while hitting all of the major muscle groups. After you become comfortable with weight lifting, you can increase your frequency to three times per week and start to increase the amount of weight lifted. You may be surprised that you actually enjoy weight lifting as you start to see your body shape improve and your energy level soar.
Does your company have a walking program? If not, you may be missing a simple and effective tool to increase employees’ health, energy level, and productivity. Walking is one the most effective ways to improve health. The list of benefits is almost too long to mention. Here are a few of the top reasons to walk:
Decreases cholesterol
Decreases blood pressure
Increases lung capacity
Increases heart function
Increases flexibility and muscles mass
If those stats don’t capture your attention, how about the fact that if you walk an extra 20 minutes per day you will burn off 7 lbs. of body fat in a year without even dieting!
Actually starting the walking program is easier than it sounds. The first item on your to-do list is to get managements approval for the program. After that box is checked, then you can proceed to the ‘fun stuff’ like mapping out a safe walking loop that employees can use during their lunch or work breaks.
A great idea is to hand out pedometers and walking journals to employees when they sign up for the program. Many companies provide incentives when employees hit key distances. For example, water bottles at the 50 mile mark, a t-shirt at hundred miles, and a gift card at the 500 mile goal.
The whole idea is to keep it fun and get everyone moving. Optimally, employees will walk together and use the opportunity to energize themselves during their breaks. Your walking program can become a great tool to decrease stress levels and show employees that you really care.
Most of the time when you read an article on office ergonomics the focus is on adjusting your chair and computer. While these are two critical areas to adjust, if you miss correcting the other aspects of your desk you may still be experiencing pain and muscle tightness while working.
Here are a few areas I recommend you look at on your desk to insure a pain-free environment.If you use your phone repeatedly or for extended periods of time, then it should be close to the edge of the desk, in front of your body and within arms reach. Repeatedly extending your arm engages your shoulder and can cause fatigue and tightness. In addition, a headset should be utilized when talking on the phone for more than a brief conversation. Most of the time a person will tilt their head to the side to cradle the phone to multi-task. This posture can lead to both neck and upper back pain.
Another area to evaluate is any paperwork you work from while typing on the computer. Often the papers are located on the desk surface to the side of the computer screen. This causes a craning of the neck from repeatedly bending and twisting your neck to look at the paper and then computer screen. An easy remedy is to use a document holder. Optimally the document holder should hang from the monitor so that they are on the same plane.
Take a look under your desk to ensure that the area where your legs and feet are positioned is clear of any items. If boxes, purses, unused files or anything else is in the space your legs will not have any room and will be in an awkward position. This awkward posture will cause a twist in your spine while sitting. So clear out anything under your desk (except of course your legs and feet) to ensure comfort for your low back and spine. Move all of your small pieces of equipment that you use on a regular basis within easy reach. A lot of times when I am evaluating an office there are nick-knacks, pictures and coffee cups on the front surface of the desk, while the staplers, hole-punches and pens are located at the far corner of the surface. From an ergonomic stand point, this makes no sense, especially when the person is complaining of upper back and shoulder pain.
When you add up every time you extend your shoulder to reach for a piece of equipment over the workday it can really accumulate. Also keep in mind, if your tasks require any kind of force (hole punching or stapling large stacks of paper) stand up to use both gravity and body weight vs. shoulder strength. I know a lot of this information seems like common sense, but you will be amazed when you really look at your desk how many little improvements you can make. Sometimes it is the small things that can add up to be a big pain, so take the time to do a quick perusal of your desk and do a little rearranging.
This article was provided by Laura Dietrich who is a Certified Professional Ergonomist based in our Louisville Kentucky office. Laura can be contacted at (502) 240-6910 or ldietrich@AdvancedSafetyHealth.com.
As the temperatures drop a little more each day, we know that winter is right around the corner. By now we have all heard predictions that this winter will be a hard one, with lots of snow. Typically, the first snow fall will occur and most of us dust off our snow shovels and start to clear the driveway without another thought.
The good news is that snow shoveling can be a great workout and will burn off those unwanted extra calories. The bad news is that every year people experience both fatal and non-fatal heart attacks as a result of snow shoveling. In addition, many people will injure either their backs or shoulders.
Some people are at a higher risk and should avoid shoveling (i.e. elderly, anyone with heart disease or other related health concerns and people with existing back problems). If proper precautions are taken though, snow shoveling can get you off the couch for a little exercise while clearing your driveway at the same time. Here are some tips to keep you safe while shoveling:
Get a lightweight shovel that is in good working condition
Before you start to shovel, do some light warm-up exercises to get your body ready
Clear the snow early and often; fresh snow is light and fluffy and much easier to shovel than wet compacted snow
Don’t overfill your shovel; fill it with a moderate amount of snow that is not too heavy
Pace yourself; try shoveling for 15 minutes and then taking a short break to rest and relax for 5 minutes
Use your legs not just your back; bend your knees, keep the back straight and lift with using your legs
Try pushing the snow instead of lifting it
Use proper body mechanics when throwing the snow; don’t throw the snow to the side or above the shoulder, rather keep all of your lifting directly in front of your body
As soon as the snow plow comes, pick up your shovel; the longer you wait the more packed the snow and ice becomes
The most important tip is to listen your body! If you feel tightness or pain in your chest, stop right away and call your doctor. Remember with a little forethought shoveling can be a great way to burn off your Christmas cookies and get out in the beautiful winter wonderland.
An outbreak of the flu in your workplace can have serious effects on your business. Of course there are lost work days and lower productivity to consider, but there are other less obvious factors, such as health insurance ramifications due to increased claims, disability insurance claims, unexpected overtime for employees picking up the work for sick co-workers, low employee morale, and many more.
Why Be Concerned?
The flu is a very contagious respiratory illness that is caused by influenza viruses. The flu is easily spread from person to person by breathing droplets from someone with the flu who coughs or sneezes. It is also spread by touching a surface with the virus on it, such as a faucet, a door knob, a handle or switch on machinery, a telephone, and other surfaces and then touching your own mouth, nose, or eyes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, on the average each year in the United States:
5% to 20% of the population gets the flu.
More than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to complications like pneumonia.
About 36,000 die from the flu.
What Steps Can My Company Take to Prevent Flu at Our Workplace?
As a concerned employer, what steps can you take to lessen the threat of the flu at your workplace? There is no assurance that the following suggestions will prevent an outbreak, but by taking some of these actions, you may be able to minimize the risks.
Post notices on bulletin boards reminding employees to wash their hands frequently in the rest room, break room, and cafeteria, etc. and to follow other good hygiene habits.
Keep meetings in enclosed rooms to a minimum during flu season.
Make disinfectants, such as antibacterial wipes or gel, available by machines shared with others, in rest rooms, by telephones, and other common work areas.
Have facial tissues available throughout the workplace.
Communicate your infectious disease policy to everyone, if you have one.
Let it be known that sick employees should stay home whenever possible.
The Best Prevention - Get Flu Shots!
One of the best suggestions is to encourage your employees to get flu shots or the nasal spray flu vaccine. Many companies even pay the cost of the shots or the nasal spray, which at $20 or $25 per vaccine is a good business investment. While there is no 100% guarantee that the flu vaccine will prevent sickness in everyone, it will help many people from becoming ill with the flu. The best time of the year to get the flu vaccine is from September into January. The week of December 8-14, 2008 has been designated National Influenza Vaccination Week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although not everyone should get a flu shot, most employees will be able to do so.
For more information on the flu, visit these sites:
Scenario: Your business is in the middle of flu season and many employees are calling in sick. Two of the employees are claiming that they have been diagnosed by their doctors with the H1N1 flu. They say they contracted the flu at work from a co-worker who was also diagnosed with the H1N1. The two employees want you to record their illnesses because they say they got the flu at work.
Flu is Already on the Move!
Since we last reported on the swine flu (now better known as H1N1) threat in the workplace in our May 2009 Newsletter, there has been increased emphasis from the federal government for businesses to be prepared for widespread seasonal and H1N1 flu. All sized organizations are being asked to have a plan to protect their workers and to maintain the continuity of their operations.
Most of the time when you read an article on office ergonomics the focus is on adjusting your chair and computer. While these are two critical areas to adjust, if you miss correcting the other aspects of your desk you may still be experiencing pain and muscle tightness while working. 
As the temperatures drop a little more each day, we know that winter is right around the corner. By now we have all heard predictions that this winter will be a hard one, with lots of snow. Typically, the first snow fall will occur and most of us dust off our snow shovels and start to clear the driveway without another thought. 
