Infectious Disease Prevention and Planning
As a result of infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics throughout the recent past, OSHA has developed infectious disease preparedness and response planning guidance. The guidance is based on traditional infection prevention and industrial hygiene practices and focuses on the design, development, and deployment of an Infectious Disease Prevention and Response (IDPR) Plan.
Click on the button below to see information on a variety of recent infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics.
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) - One of the deadliest viral diseases, Ebola was discovered in 1976 when two consecutive outbreaks of fatal hemorrhagic fever occurred in different parts of Central Africa. The first outbreak occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in a village near the Ebola River, which gave the virus its name. The second outbreak occurred in what is now South Sudan, approximately 500 miles (850 km) away. More information on Ebola.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) - Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is an illness caused by a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Most MERS patients developed severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. About 3 or 4 out of every 10 patients reported with MERS have died. More information on MERS.
Norovirus Illness - Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. It causes 58% of foodborne illnesses and is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines) among people of all ages. It is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis among U.S. children less than 5 years of age who seek medical care. Norovirus is responsible for nearly 1 million pediatric medical care visits annually. More information on Norovirus and the Norovirus Toolkit.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging, sometimes fatal, respiratory illness. The first identified cases occurred in China in late 2002, and the disease has now spread throughout the world. Although SARS is believed to be caused by a virus, the specific agent has not been identified, and there is not yet any laboratory or other test that can definitively identify cases. Suspected SARS cases in the United States have involved individuals returning from travel to Asia and health care workers and other contacts of those patients. More information on SARS.
Swine Influenza - Swine Flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Influenza viruses that commonly circulate in swine are called "swine influenza viruses" or "swine flu viruses." Like human influenza viruses, there are different subtypes and strains of swine influenza viruses. The main swine influenza viruses circulating in U.S. pigs in recent years have been, swine triple reassortant (tr) H1N1 influenza virus, trH3N2 virus, and trH1N2 virus. More information on Swine Influenza. Information on Past Influenza Pandemics.
Tuberculosis (TB) - According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2008, nearly one-third of the world's population is infected with Tuberculosis (TB), which kills almost 1.6 million people per year. TB is now the second most common cause of death from infectious disease in the world after human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). More information on Tuberculosis.
COVID-19 Pandemic
Note: Although we are emphasizing preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the information in this course may also be valuable in preparing and responding to other infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.
What Employers Must Do
To reduce the long-term impact of infectious disease outbreak conditions on businesses, workers, customers, and the public, it is important for all employers to implement an Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response (IDPR) Plan.
- For employers who have already planned for influenza pandemics, planning for COVID-19 may involve updating plans to address the specific exposure risks, sources of exposure, routes of transmission, and other unique characteristics of SARS-CoV-2.
- Employers who have not prepared for pandemic events should prepare themselves and their workers as far in advance as possible of potentially worsening outbreak conditions.
Lack of continuity planning can result in a cascade of failures as employers attempt to address challenges of COVID-19 with insufficient resources and workers who might not be adequately trained for jobs they may have to perform under pandemic conditions.
View the latest guidance from OSHAProtecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace
- Ten Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus
- National Pandemic Influenza Plans
- HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan 2017 Update
- Utah Dept. of Health Infectious Disease Emergency Response Plan
- Infectious Disease Emergency Response Plan - SFDPH
- Univ. of Texas Emergency Operations Plan Annex I - Infectious Disease
- SOG Sample Infectious Disease Exposure Control Plan
- Sample Policy for Emergent Infectious Diseases for Skilled Nursing Care Centers
- OSHA COVID-19 Overview
- CDC Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
- OSHA Training Requirements
- Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings
- Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities
- COVID-19 Guidance for Restaurants & Beverage Vendors Offering Takeout or Curbside Pickup. (May 1, 2020).
- COVID-19 Guidance for the Construction Workforce. (April 21, 2020).
- COVID-19 Guidance for the Manufacturing Industry Workforce. (April 16, 2020).
- COVID-19 Guidance for the Package Delivery Workforce. (April 13, 2020).
- COVID-19 Guidance for Retail Workers. (April 8, 2020).
- Prevent Worker Exposure to Coronavirus (COVID-19). (March 2020).
- COVID-19 Guidance for Dentistry Workers and Employers
- Ten Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus.
- CDC Guidelines for Schools and Child Care Program
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. To mitigate the long-term negative impact of an infectious disease outbreak, employers should _____.
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