CDC Updates General Business and Workplace Guidance for the Prevention of H1N1 Flu in Workers

The updated guidance states that a worker who has been exposed to a person with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) may continue to go to work unless he/she becomes ill. 

A pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus has infected humans in the United States as well as multiple other countries, and the spread of this virus continues. Businesses and employers, in general, play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety, as well as in limiting the negative impact of the outbreak on the individual, the community, and the nation’s economy. This interim guidance is meant to inform and educate management, unions, and employees about appropriate precautions and work practices to minimize the risk of potential employee exposure, illness, and the spread of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) flu in the workplace through general prevention and preparedness strategies and in the event that a worker becomes ill.

Read the updated guidance at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/workplace.htm.

Lower-status Employees’ Hypertension More Likely Stay With Them Into Retirement

According to a new study from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), retirement from some occupations may not provide lower-status employees relief from the potentially devastating health effects of work-related hypertension.

Published in the June issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the study is the first to show that retirement-aged Americans who held higher-status jobs—such as chief executives, financial managers and management analysts—tend to have the lowest rates of hypertension, while those who had lower-status jobs tend to have the highest rates.

For more about the study, go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220717.htm.

Legislation Seeks to Establish National Prevention and Wellness Strategy  

The recently released joint version of the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor Committees’ health reform legislation seeks to establish a National Prevention and Wellness Strategy.

The Strategy that will identify specific goals and objectives in prevention and wellness; establish nation priorities for prevention and wellness programs and research; and address health disparities in prevention and wellness activities.

The legislation also provides for a Public Health Investment Fund which grows from $4.7 billion in FY2010 to $8.8 billion in FY2014.  Funds would be available for a variety of public health purposes, including community health centers; health and public health workforce; and prevention and wellness programs.  Of the total amount, $2.4 billion is made available in FY2010 for a Prevention and Wellness Trust, starting at $2.4 billion in FY2010, and rising to $3.5 billion in FY2014.  Available funds are divided into several funding categories, including community and clinical prevention services task forces; prevention and wellness research; community-based prevention and wellness; and core state and local public health infrastructure.

The link to the bill text and related documents: http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1679:house-democratic-chairmen-to-unveil-discussion-draft-for-health-care-reform&catid=122:media-advisories&Itemid=55

Governments and drug companies have begun producing a vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus, but questions regarding who and how many people need to be vaccinated are yet to be answered.

The world's biggest drug companies have started producing vaccines against the H1N1 virus and expect the first doses to be available by the fall. Many Western countries have ordered millions of doses, at a cost of more than $1 billion. But they have yet to figure out who should be first in line to get the shots, or to what extent they are even needed, given that the virus has so far proved less deadly than feared.

"We hope that clarity will come from this fog in the next two to three months," said John Oxford, professor of virology at Queen Mary, University of London.

Read more at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124502116646013713.html

WHO Declares H1N1 Pandemic

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.

A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway. More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.

Read more about the pandemic at http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

OSHA QuickCard™ Has Tips for Avoiding Heat Stress on the Job

For the thousands of workers exposed to the oftentimes lethal combination of heat, humidity and physical labor, a few precautions can go a long way to preventing many heat-related injuries or deaths.

The stress of working in hot weather is a concern for many as summer approaches. The "Heat Stress" QuickCard™ from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration offers a good first step in acquiring prevention information. The card is also available online in Spanish. Copies of the laminated card can be ordered, at no cost, through the agency's publications Web page or by calling (202) 693-1888. Visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics page on heat stress to learn more about this hazard and ways to avoid it.

Heat Stress QuickCard™: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf

Spanish-language version: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3155.pdf

FDA, FTC Alert Public to Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Flu Remedies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are alerting the public to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

The agencies are also advising operators of offending web sites that they must take prompt action to correct and/or remove promotions of these fraudulent products or face enforcement action.

“Consumers who purchase products to treat the novel 2009 H1N1 virus that are not approved, cleared or authorized by the FDA for the treatment or prevention of influenza risk their health and the health of their families,” said Michael Chappell, acting FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. “In conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission, the FDA has developed an aggressive strategy to identify, investigate, and take regulatory or criminal action against individuals or businesses that wrongfully promote purported 2009 H1N1 influenza products in an attempt to take advantage of the current flu public health emergency.”

Read more at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm149576.htm.

A recent report lauded U.S. officials’ initial response to the H1N1 outbreak, but warned that the nation's core public health capacity could be overwhelmed if an outbreak were more severe or widespread.  

The report, Pandemic Flu:  Lessons From the Frontlines, was issued by Trust for America's Health (TFAH), the Center for Biosecurity, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

"H1N1 is a real-world test of our initial emergency response capabilities—all of the planning and preparations have paid off.  The country is significantly ahead of where we were a few years ago," said Jeff Levi, PhD, Executive Director of TFAH.  "However, the outbreak also revealed serious gaps in our nation's preparedness for pandemic flu and other public health emergencies."

The Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontlines report reviews 10 early lessons learned from the response to the H1N1 (swine) flu outbreak, 10 ongoing core vulnerabilities in U.S. pandemic flu preparedness, and case studies of challenges communities around the country faced when responding to the outbreak. 

Learn more about the report and read the 10 lessons learned from the 2009 H1N1 outbreak at http://healthyamericans.org/newsroom/releases/?releaseid=178.

Occupational Health and Safety in Top Ten Careers List

At a time when U.S. unemployment has risen to a 25-year high, a new trend study from the University of California San Diego Extension reveals some of the hottest career options for recent and mid-career college graduates. 

The list was developed by the University’s continuing education academic directors, based on enrollment trends, an analysis of national employment statistics and discussions with some of UC San Diego Extension’s more than 750 business, community and professional association curriculum advisors.

The list can be found at http://extension.ucsd.edu/news/display/dsp_newsarticle.cfm?vAction=view&vEventID=492.

Have a Plan in Place This Hurricane Season

History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster. 

Hurricane hazards come in many forms: storm surge, high winds, tornadoes and flooding. This means it is important for your family to have a plan that includes all of these hazards.

Prepare your disaster plan accordingly, but remember, the first and most important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use common sense.

For more information on preparing and planning for hurricanes visit the following:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hurricane/index.html

Additional Resource:
Emergency Planning for All Hazards (AAOHN member log-in required)

A few simple adjustments in how you read, work or surf the Internet can give your eyes a much-needed rest.
Follow these simple tips to reduce eyestrain at home: 

• When doing close-up work, make sure you have light that's well directed on what you're doing. Use a brighter light source if you need one, especially if you have reduced vision from an eye condition such as macular degeneration.
• When reading, try to position the light source behind you and direct the light onto your page. If you're reading at a desk, use a shaded light positioned in front of you. The shade will keep light from shining directly into your eyes.
• When watching television, keep the room softly lit. Too much contrast between the TV screen and the surrounding environment can cause eyestrain.
  

For tips on reducing workplace eyestrain, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eyestrain/DS01084/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies.

CDC Reports Seasonal Flu Vaccines Likely Ineffective with H1N1 Virus

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccination with seasonal flu vaccines made for the 2005 to 2009 seasons is unlikely to protect people against infection by the new H1N1 flu virus.

Using stored serum specimens from vaccine studies, CDC assessed the level of cross-reactive antibody to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in specimens from children and adults collected before and after they had received vaccines for the 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08, and 2008-09 influenza seasons. The results suggest that recent seasonal influenza vaccines are unlikely to elicit a protective antibody response to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.

More information can be found in CDC’s Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report May 22, 2009 / Vol. 58 / No. 19 at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/.

NIOSH Updates Guidance for Protection Against Biological Agents

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued, “Recommendations for the Selection and Use of Respirators and Protective Clothing for Protection Against Biological Agents,” the first update in eight years.

The document is based on current understanding of the potential agents and existing recommendations for biological aerosols and is oriented toward acts of terrorism. The recommendations provided do not address and are not applicable to controlled use of biological agents in biosafety laboratories. (For information on precautions in the laboratory settings, please consult http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/biosfty.htm.)

For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-132/.

“Update on H1N1 Flu”  Webcast now available in HHS Archive

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Web site, PandemicFlu.gov has added the April 30, 2009 webcast, “Update on H1N1 Flu” to its PlanFirst Webcast archives on Pandemic Influenza.

On March 13, 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched PlanFirst, a regular Webcast series on pandemic planning. The goal of the PlanFirst Webcasts is to help states, local communities, employers, faith-based and civic organizations, and families and individuals learn more about pandemic planning.

To access the webcast and previous broadcasts, visit http://www.pandemicflu.gov/news/panflu_webinar.html.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has posted resources on its Web site for occupational health issues associated with H1N1 Influenza (flu).

NIOSH is coordinating with other parts of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address national health needs associated with preventing the spread of H1N1 Influenza Virus and providing information to workers and employers. NIOSH provides technical guidance for workers, including health-care and transportation workers, for whom job-related questions about exposure or infection may be an occupational concern.

Resources include: H1N1 Influenza Resources for Workers, Other Pandemic Flu Resources for Workers, Other CDC H1N1 Flu Resources and Related NIOSH Safety and Health Topics.

You can access the resources at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/H1N1flu/.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim infection control guidance for healthcare facilities caring for patients with confirmed, probable or suspected infection with the influenza (flu) A virus H1N1. 

The infection control guidance covers the following topics:

• Screening, placement and transport of potentially or confirmed infected patients
• Isolation precautions
• Respiratory protection
• Managing visitors
• Duration of precautions
• Surveillance and management of healthcare personnel (HCP)
• Environmental infection control

Patients with confirmed, probable or suspected cases should be placed in individual rooms with the door closed, and HCP caring for these patients should follow the recommendations in the guidance. 
 
You can access the guidelines at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidelines_infection_control.htm.

CDC Mounts Ongoing Swine Flu Outbreak Investigation and Response 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is actively investigating isolated human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1), working closely with Canada, Mexico and the World Health Organization (WHO) and continuously updating investigation information.

CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the agency's response to this emerging health threat. CDC's goals during this public health emergency are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to assist health care providers, public health officials and the public in addressing the challenges posed by this newly identified influenza virus.

CDC has issued a number of interim guidance documents in the past 24 hours. In addition, CDC's Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states respond to the outbreak.

For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/index.htm.

OSHA Notifies Employers with Higher Than Average Injury and Illness Rates

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has notified more than 13,500 employers nationwide that their injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average.

A letter sent this month to those employers explained that the notification was a proactive step to encourage employers to take action now to reduce these rates and improve safety and health conditions in their workplaces.

"Employers whose businesses have injury and illness rates this high need to take immediate steps to protect their workers," said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. "Our goal is to make employers aware of their high injury and illness rates and to get them to eliminate hazards in their workplace. To help them in this regard, OSHA offers free assistance programs to help employers better protect the safety and health of their workers."

OSHA identified businesses with the nation's highest rates of workplace injuries and illnesses through employer-reported data from a 2008 survey of 80,000 worksites (this survey collected injury and illness data for calendar year 2007). Workplaces receiving notifications had rates more than twice the national average among all U.S. workplaces for injuries resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer.

For more information, visit http://osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=17768.

White Paper Finds Older Workers More Productive, Safety Conscious

While an increase in older workers in the American work force could lead some to suspect a corresponding decrease in workplace productivity and an increase in accident claims, a new white paper shows the opposite is true.

The white paper, from PMA Companies "Capitalizing on an Aging Workforce," concluded that older workers are a benefit to the companies that employ them and examines how employers can capitalize on the strengths of older adults while minimizing high-severity risks. Even so, however, injuries to older adults tend to be of higher severity, so U.S. companies should consider making workplace modifications that prevent injuries.

"Not surprisingly, as people age, their skills and faculties, including strength, range of motion, motor skills, sensory acuity and ability to heal, diminish," Nogan wrote. "While this may suggest that older workers would have a negative effect on workplace productivity and safety, statistics prove otherwise."

In fact, the paper notes that as over-55 workers increase in the workplace, so does productivity and overall workplace safety. Safety professionals, however, must consider that when older workers do experience injuries, the severity may be more significant. It therefore pays to make medications to work environments to prevent injuries and limit the severity of injuries commonly sustained by older workers.
 
A PDF of the white paper can be found at http://www.pmagroup.com/pdf/PMAInsights/PMAInsightsAgingWorkforce_1-09.pdf.

NIOSH Revises Advice to Protect Responders from Airborne Pathogens

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently revised its recommendations about personal equipment for protecting first responders from airborne pathogens in potential bioterrorism situations.

The "Recommendations for the Selection and Use of Respirators and Protective Clothing for Protection Against Biological Agents" were updated to reflect changes in equipment ratings and standards since the previous version was issued in 2001, said John Decker, associate director for emergency preparedness at NIOSH. The document was published online last week.

The revised version includes respirators rated for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards as well as updated National Fire Protection Association standards (NFPA) for protective clothing, Decker told CIDRAP News.

"A lot of this has changed over the last several years," Decker said. "In 2001 we didn't have CBRN respirators. This was part of a general review of our site and which documents needed to be updated as part of a routine process." 

For more information, visit http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/bt/bioprep/news/apr0709niosh.html.

The NIOSH recommendations can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-132/.

NIOSH Debuts WorkLife e-Newsletter

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) WorkLife Initiative has launched an electronic newsletter to share information about new research and practice developments and to serve as a focal point for related activities.

The Initiative was launched in 2004 to identify and support comprehensive approaches to reducing workplace hazards and promote worker health and wellbeing. The premise of the WorkLife Initiative, based on scientific research and practical experience in the field, is that comprehensive approaches addressing health risk from the work environment (both physical and organizational) and from individual behavior are more effective in preventing disease and promoting health and safety than each approach taken separately.

One of the effort's goals is to "overcome the traditional separation of the occupational health and health promotion professional communities."

For more information and to view the first issue of the newsletter, visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/worklife/newsletter/NWLnewsV1N1.html.

OSHA Adds Mandatory Respirator Provisions to Existing Standard

Assigned Protection Factors (APF), a new guidance document published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), provides employers with vital information for selecting respirators for employees exposed to airborne contaminants.

OSHA revised its existing Respiratory Protection standard in 2006 to add APFs and Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) provisions. APF means the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is able to provide to workers. The higher the APF number (5 to 10,000), the greater the level of protection provided to the user. APFs are used to select the appropriate class of respirators that will provide the necessary level of protection against airborne contaminants. Such exposures can come from particles or a gas or vapor.

Visit http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=17714 for more information.

Practice Alert: Know Your State's Standing Orders!

Nurses—especially advanced practice nurses—are continuing to encounter vigorous efforts to legislate limits to their scope of practice. Due to the recent discovery of a 2006 practice alert issued by the New York State Office of the Professions, AAOHN is urging its members keep abreast of their state's legislative actions and contact their state board of nursing for scope of practice updates.

In many cases, state boards of nursing do not sufficiently inform the nurse population of changes or proposed changes that will impact the limits of their practice. Ultimately, each nurse is responsible to make themselves aware of their state's scope of practice.

Don't unknowingly find yourself in a legally liable position!

For contact information for your state board of nursing, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

The New York State Office of the Professions 2006 alert can be found at www.op.nysed.gov/nurse-standingorders.htm.