OSHA Public Forum on H1N1 Preparedness Scheduled For September 30th

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has added yet another layer of H1N1 flu preparation to their agenda with the announcement of a public forum specifically targeting the sickness’ impact on the business sector.  Although estimates of the flu’s impact have been recently revised, OSHA feels that more attention on the problem is necessary in order for businesses to understand just how disruptive to operations even a non-fatal flu pandemic can be.

The forum, which is named “Workplace Preparedness: How Small Businesses Can Prepare for H1N1 Influenza,” is scheduled to take place on the 30^th of September at the Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Building auditorium.  There will be a number of different topics covered by the panelists, which include OSHA and local health department members, as well as representatives from private industry.

Of particular focus will be strategies on how risk managers can prevent or slow the transmission of H1N1 in the workplace itself.  There are a number of different steps that can be taken in order to reduce the vectors that an infectious agent can use to work its way through a group of workers.  The first line of defense for most companies is the reliance on proper hygiene, which can include the of hand and surface wipes such as Dupont RelyOn biosecurity equipment.  This antiseptic material is also available in a hand spray bottle, which is useful for distributing amongst employees who move through many different worksites throughout the day, and could potentially be encountering a number of different germ and bacteria situations while performing their tasks.  Those on the front lines of customer and client interaction may also benefit from Safe2Breather Pandemic Masks, which are designed to reduce the chances of transmitting the flu virus through coughing or other airborne methods.

The OSHA forum will also explore methods for properly evaluating the work environment in order to determine the most likely areas where exposure could occur, as well as how risk managers can communicate to employees the dangers posed by H1N1.  Behavioral changes can play as important a role as the use of pandemic-related hygiene equipment when it comes to lowering the chances that a flu could infiltrate an office or facility.  The option of modifying business practices so as to encourage safe habits during a pandemic situation is an important component of a manager’s arsenal, and should be discussed before the fact with decision makers.

The final item on the forum’s agenda relates to the challenges posed by a severe pandemic.  Panelists will discuss how companies can cope with supply chain interruption as well as the client and customer issues that can present themselves when a population either chooses or is forced to remain at home due to sickness.  The potential for high absenteeism during a pandemic will also be examined, with experts providing their opinions on how best to plan for and cope with the possibility that only a small percentage of the work force may be healthy enough to work over an extended period.