Your go-to place for reliable occupational health-related information.
We understand how time constraints conflict with your need to follow industry trends. Please subscribe here and we’ll notify you when we periodically post articles and news briefs.
Nine leading scientific and health organizations have endorsed recommendations for federal and state agencies to create specific guidelines to help prevent aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
A Joint Consensus Statement summarizes what occupational health and safety professionals and scientists know about airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission and outlines recommendations that call for related regulations, research and funding.
Studies show SARS-CoV-2 can remain viable in air for at least three hours. According to the statement, infectious particles are exhaled by contagious people while breathing, talking, singing, coughing and sneezing. Particle sizes vary widely, from 0.1 to > 100 µm. Some larger particles rapidly settle, while others evaporate to smaller droplet nuclei. Particles less than 10 µm can be distributed by diffusion and air currents.
The statement calls on the:
As envisioned, federal funding would be used to support:
The statement proposes that funding priority be directed toward providing frontline workers with respiratory protection options such as elastomeric and powered air-purifying respirators. Expanded options would help reduce demand for filtering facepiece respirators needed by health care personnel and other essential workers whose jobs involve prolonged or close contact with co-workers and the public.
The nine co-sponsoring organizations of the consensus statement are:
When you choose the right kind of mask and wear it correctly, risk of exposure...
By Christopher Jankosky, M.D., M.P.H. At WorkCare, our team of occupational physicians highly recommends that...
By Karen O’Hara Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day – midpoint between winter solstice in December...
Employers who monitor COVID-19 case rates and contact tracing data have a heightened awareness of...
When you subscribe you’ll receive links to blog posts, newsletters, fact sheets, articles, news briefs and videos by email when we post them.
Sign Up