Ebola has certainly heightened employee awareness to health risks at work. Prior to Ebola, the swine flu (H1N1 virus) scare was the most recent contagious disease threat forcing U.S. employers to react with new guidelines and policies. Ebola has prompted the same reaction. The CDC has provided guidelines for employees with direct exposure to the virus. And OSHA has responded with requirements and recommendations on precautionary measures for preventing exposure to employees that do not have direct contact with the virus.

Although Contagious Diseases can typically occur in healthcare, mortuary, and airline service work environments from the infected to the  worker, it is highly possible for it to spread from the co-worker to the general public. OSHA emphasizes these critical courses of action:

• Proper Education & Prevention Communication

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Appropriate Sanitary Measures

• Basic Hygiene and Personal Distance

• Alternative Work Arrangements (Working from Home)

• Flexible Sick Leave or Leave of Absence

All employers should read and post OSHA’s Fact Sheet on “Protecting Workers during a Pandemic” (PDF*). This document provides general guidance about principles of worker protection that may be useful during a wide-spread disease outbreak