Flu Outbreak Spotlights Holes in Workers' Safety Net
While public health officials agree that this strain is mild, the flu outbreak shines a spotlight on the cracks in the system that should put workers on alert and taking action.
The new H1N1 flu, formerly known as swine flu, causes symptoms very similar to seasonal flu: fever, cough, and sore throat. And like seasonal flu, the state advises workers and others to avoid direct skin contact with anyone who has a cold or the flu, wash hands often, and clean things that are touched frequently, like door knobs and handles.
But the state also advises an action that exposes workers to a different form of occupational hazard: Stay home if you have symptoms. For the 1.4 million workers with no paid sick days, that could mean choosing between your health and your livelihood.
“A sick worker must consider whether she can afford to lose a day’s pay and maybe her job - a decision that could impact everyone that comes in contact with her,” noted Ellen Wallace, coordinator of the Paid Leave Coalition. The Paid Leave Coalition, which includes MassCOSH, is advocating for a bill that would allow all workers in
Other workers stepping into the black hole are those sent in to clean up and sanitize schools and other buildings after they have been closed due to a flu outbreak. Without well-developed emergency plans, training and protective equipment, custodians, janitors, facilities and maintenance personnel are being asked to put their health and well-being in jeopardy.
“Private companies and the government must anticipate a wide range of emergencies and develop plans that determine the roles of all potential emergency personnel,” said David Coffey, Training Manager of the New England Consortium (TNEC), which includes MassCOSH and other New England COSHes as training partners. “Training programs, like those offered by TNEC, help managers and employees simulate work tasks and conduct mock incidents to learn how to respond in an emergency situation.”
The flu outbreak also sent out a warning about what could happen when you “overload a U.S. health system already straining from hospital closures, cuts in public health funding, a nursing shortage and too many uninsured patients,” as reported by Reuters (“Flu Outbreak Highlights Broken US Health System”, May 2, 2009). In
Many safety advocates are calling for a comprehensive look at our emergency response and health policies and infrastructure to see if the Commonwealth is ready for a more serious strain of flu or other emergency.
As MassCOSH Executive Director Marcy Goldstein-Gelb put it, “Now is the time for us to inform the Legislature and the Governor of the policies and programs needed in this state– before a future pandemic becomes pandemonium.”
Here are some links to further articles about pandemic flu:
Basic Facts About Pandemic Flu
Protecting Workers During Pandemic Flu
Respirators: One Way to Protect Workers
