New eBook to help in airborne disease risk management

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Feb 15, (Agencies): As more employers are examining their workplace health protocols to minimize the risk of airborne infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, AIHA – the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring occupational and environmental health and safety in the workplace and community – announced the launch of a comprehensive new resource that employers and employees can utilize to address current, and future, health threats.

AIHA’s “Healthier Workplaces and Schools” eBook is available in English and Spanish to view and download at no charge on AIHA’s Commit to C.A.R.E. website. It is designed to help workplace decision-makers properly assess their specific risks and includes a practical approach to help mitigate the risk of spreading airborne infectious diseases in workplace settings, a risk assessment quiz to determine an organization’s risk of airborne virus transmission among workers, and specific actions to help manage these risks.

The eBook was developed by experts with background, training, and experience in industrial hygiene (IH) and occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS), providing practical, evidence-based guidance to protect workers and their communities across all industry sectors – from service sector businesses and healthcare facilities to manufacturing/ warehouses and public transit systems.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we cannot afford to be caught unprepared responding to future health risks that jeopardize worker health and our communities. Our new ‘Healthier Workplaces and Schools’ eBook is a natural evolution of our initial COVID-19 guidance documents that have helped countless workplaces around the world get back up and running safely,” said AIHA CEO Lawrence Sloan. “The multi-layered approach outlined in this new eBook includes five overriding strategies to keep employees safe, and provides scientifically sound solutions written in terms a non-technical person can understand. The more layers of protection that employers can implement, the more they can reduce their risk of infectious diseases in the workplace.”