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Managing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in workplace COVID-19 outbreaks.

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Title: Managing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in workplace COVID-19 outbreaks.
Authors: Sandys, Vince1, Simpson, Andrew1, Keen, Chris1, Chen, Yiqun1
Source: Annals of Work Exposures & Health. Nov2024, Vol. 68 Issue 9, p982-991. 10p.
Subjects: Carbon dioxide analysis, Prevention of infectious disease transmission, Prevention of epidemics, Ventilation, Employees, Risk assessment, Human services programs, Health facility design & construction, Research funding, Risk management in business, Hand washing, COVID-19 testing, Peer relations, Work environment, Sterilization (Disinfection), Medical masks, Occupational exposure, Infectious disease transmission, Medical equipment contamination, COVID-19, Industrial safety, Social distancing, COVID-19 pandemic, Industrial hygiene, Disease risk factors, Prevention
Abstract: Objectives A Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) workplace outbreak is a risk to the health of workers and business continuity. To minimise this risk, companies have implemented risk management measures (RMMs) designed to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission within the workforce. The objective of this work was to gather insights into the application of RMMs in non-healthcare workplaces and to improve understanding of the practical barriers to their implementation. Methods Data were collected using a pre-designed framework from 12 volunteer workplaces through discussions with staff responsible for site safety and during site visits to observe the RMMs and work processes. To evaluate ventilation effectiveness, measurements for carbon dioxide (CO2) were taken during the site visit and logged over an extended period in selected occupied areas. Results RMMs that were implemented well included working at home for office and other non-production staff, provision, and use of face coverings, provision for hand hygiene, and as methods became commonly available, carrying out testing for infected people. However, maintaining adequate physical distancing in many production areas proved difficult because established factory layouts cannot be easily changed and there is often a need for workers to be close to each other to communicate. A major shortcoming identified was the understanding and application of measures to improve workplace ventilation. Rapidly installing and/or upgrading mechanical ventilation systems during a pandemic may not be practical and ideally should be considered in building design. Measuring CO2 in occupied workspaces proved to be a useful tool for identifying areas with potentially inadequate ventilation. Conclusions Preventing workplace attendance by identifying infected individuals is challenging, making effective RMMs crucial to mitigating virus transmission. The effectiveness of individual RMMs can be uncertain; therefore, it is necessary to adopt multilayered RMMs. Successful implementation relies on measures that are specific to individual workplaces, identified by accurate risk assessment, regularly reviewed for effectiveness, and worker compliance. Establishing suitable risk mitigation policies and providing staff supervision are vital to ensure the sustained and effective implementation of RMMs. For RMMs that require technical understanding, such as workplace ventilation systems, specialist support may be necessary to ensure effective implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Annals of Work Exposures & Health is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Managing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in workplace COVID-19 outbreaks.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sandys%2C+Vince%22">Sandys, Vince</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Simpson%2C+Andrew%22">Simpson, Andrew</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Keen%2C+Chris%22">Keen, Chris</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chen%2C+Yiqun%22">Chen, Yiqun</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Annals+of+Work+Exposures+%26+Health%22">Annals of Work Exposures & Health</searchLink>. Nov2024, Vol. 68 Issue 9, p982-991. 10p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Carbon+dioxide+analysis%22">Carbon dioxide analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention+of+infectious+disease+transmission%22">Prevention of infectious disease transmission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention+of+epidemics%22">Prevention of epidemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ventilation%22">Ventilation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employees%22">Employees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Risk+assessment%22">Risk assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+services+programs%22">Human services programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+facility+design+%26+construction%22">Health facility design & construction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Risk+management+in+business%22">Risk management in business</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hand+washing%22">Hand washing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19+testing%22">COVID-19 testing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+relations%22">Peer relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+environment%22">Work environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sterilization+%28Disinfection%29%22">Sterilization (Disinfection)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+masks%22">Medical masks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Occupational+exposure%22">Occupational exposure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infectious+disease+transmission%22">Infectious disease transmission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+equipment+contamination%22">Medical equipment contamination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Industrial+safety%22">Industrial safety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+distancing%22">Social distancing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19+pandemic%22">COVID-19 pandemic</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Industrial+hygiene%22">Industrial hygiene</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disease+risk+factors%22">Disease risk factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention%22">Prevention</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objectives A Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) workplace outbreak is a risk to the health of workers and business continuity. To minimise this risk, companies have implemented risk management measures (RMMs) designed to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission within the workforce. The objective of this work was to gather insights into the application of RMMs in non-healthcare workplaces and to improve understanding of the practical barriers to their implementation. Methods Data were collected using a pre-designed framework from 12 volunteer workplaces through discussions with staff responsible for site safety and during site visits to observe the RMMs and work processes. To evaluate ventilation effectiveness, measurements for carbon dioxide (CO2) were taken during the site visit and logged over an extended period in selected occupied areas. Results RMMs that were implemented well included working at home for office and other non-production staff, provision, and use of face coverings, provision for hand hygiene, and as methods became commonly available, carrying out testing for infected people. However, maintaining adequate physical distancing in many production areas proved difficult because established factory layouts cannot be easily changed and there is often a need for workers to be close to each other to communicate. A major shortcoming identified was the understanding and application of measures to improve workplace ventilation. Rapidly installing and/or upgrading mechanical ventilation systems during a pandemic may not be practical and ideally should be considered in building design. Measuring CO2 in occupied workspaces proved to be a useful tool for identifying areas with potentially inadequate ventilation. Conclusions Preventing workplace attendance by identifying infected individuals is challenging, making effective RMMs crucial to mitigating virus transmission. The effectiveness of individual RMMs can be uncertain; therefore, it is necessary to adopt multilayered RMMs. Successful implementation relies on measures that are specific to individual workplaces, identified by accurate risk assessment, regularly reviewed for effectiveness, and worker compliance. Establishing suitable risk mitigation policies and providing staff supervision are vital to ensure the sustained and effective implementation of RMMs. For RMMs that require technical understanding, such as workplace ventilation systems, specialist support may be necessary to ensure effective implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Annals of Work Exposures & Health is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1093/annweh/wxae070
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 982
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Carbon dioxide analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prevention of infectious disease transmission
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prevention of epidemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ventilation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Risk assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Human services programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health facility design & construction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Risk management in business
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hand washing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19 testing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Peer relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Work environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sterilization (Disinfection)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical masks
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Occupational exposure
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Infectious disease transmission
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      – SubjectFull: Medical equipment contamination
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      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
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      – SubjectFull: Industrial safety
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      – SubjectFull: Social distancing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19 pandemic
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Industrial hygiene
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disease risk factors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prevention
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Managing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in workplace COVID-19 outbreaks.
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              M: 11
              Text: Nov2024
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