Illness Prevention
An illness prevention policy is used to communicate to employees and guests what to do if they come down with symptoms of an illness. The policy should include what to do if an employee or guest becomes ill at home or work, and the steps management will take when notified by an employee or guest of illness. The goal of the illness prevention policy is to prevent transmission of an infectious disease to other employees or guests.
Engineering Controls and Personal Protective Equipment
An illness prevention policy should incorporate engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect employees and guests from infectious diseases.
Engineering controls isolate employees from potential hazards, preventing exposure from occurring. At the same time, PPE is used as a last line of defense against exposure to potential hazards. Engineering controls, followed by administrative controls, and safe work practices are considered more effective and are preferred over the use of PPE.
Engineering controls you could use in your policy include:
- install high-efficiency air filters
- install physical barriers, such as clear plastic sneeze guards
- increase ventilation rates in the work environment
PPE you could use in your policy include:
- gloves
- goggles
- face shields
- face masks
- respiratory protection
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-12. What is an engineering control you can use in your illness prevention policy?
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