Worker Health Condition
Protecting public health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic begins with protecting the health and well-being of employees at all levels. Whether it’s from frontline healthcare workers and emergency responders to those working in supermarkets, trucking, pharmacies, factories, transportation, cleaning, and all other critical offices, they should be protected to stop the spread of disease. In particular, workers in the food processing industry, such as meat and chicken handlers, are at increased risk. Only when these employees are protected can the public be better protected subsequently.
BA2 Variant Spreading
Scientists say BA.2 is a sub-variant of the Omicron variant, transmitted by direct contact and airborne. Droplets exhaled by people sneezing or coughing have the potential to spread the virus. And these viruses can also be carried by tiny aerosols expelled by breathing. Even more terrifying, surface contact also gave Omicron’s transmission a cheating channel. People can contract the virus simply by touching public objects with the virus, such as elevators, restaurant doors, etc., and the virus can also be accidentally stranded in a public place simply because the person with the virus coughed. “It is still a huge public health problem and it is going to continue to be,” according to Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh.
Federal Safety Recommendations
Therefore, for food processing workers, if taking public transportation or passing the grocery store is their only way to go to work on their daily commute, they should follow the FDA‘s recommendations to vaccinate against COVID-19 and wear NIOSH standards. N95 masks or equivalent masks, such as KN95 or KF94, are still more effective protection measures. FDA has been encouraging food facility leadership and management to support worker vaccination. When essential workers are vaccinated against COVID-19, they protect themselves, their families, colleagues, and the community. Healthy workers help ensure a safe and adequate food supply. At the same time, CDC and OSHA have also issued voluntary guidelines for employers to protect workers, according to which workers’ safety should be protected by employers taking specific measures.
One tool employers can use to protect their employees from live and wild bird flu (HPAI) is negative pressure respirators. Some examples of negative pressure respirators are supplied-air respirators (SAR), air respirators, and self-contained respirators. They all have one thing in common; they work by creating a slight vacuum or negative pressure inside the mask or hood, keeping outside air from getting in. This means that if an employee removes his/her mask for any reason, he/she will not be exposed to polluted air. While we hope you never have to use BA2 training, knowing how to properly put on and take off a respirator will help keep you safe if you have an outbreak of HPAI in your workplace.
Improve Your PPE
When using a respirator, make sure you fit it and your mask fits. During periods of high pollution, such as flu season, make sure to always wear a respirator while working. Make sure your eye protection meets government safety requirements by checking that they offer 100% UV-A and UV-B protection. When removing PPE, do not remove more than one at a time to avoid confusion about which item goes where and causes cross-contamination. Do not wear jewelry or watches under gloves as they can cause irritation and should be removed before putting on gloves. Finally, wash your hands with soap and water after removing the PPE; if possible, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as an alternative.
Ways for Your Mask Fitting
Proper cleaning and storage of masks are also critical to health and safety. If you are using a half mask, be sure to clean it thoroughly with a disinfectant before each use according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Rinse with running water after each use, being careful not to let anything get inside the respirator. Store your respirator in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, or humidity to keep it in good condition. Replace the respirator if there are signs of wear or damage, such as cracks, tears, or holes. It should fit snugly, not too tight or too loose. It should never interfere with breathing – if it does, try adjusting the straps and/or changing the filter if necessary. If you have trouble breathing while wearing the mask, remove it immediately and contact your doctor.