influenza. See the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Respirator Selection Logic at: www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-100.
Educate and train employees about the protective clothing and equipment appropriate to their current duties and the duties which they may be asked to assume when others are absent. Education and training material should be easy to understand and available in the appropriate language and literacy level for all employees. Employees need to be fit tested and trained in the proper use and care of a respirator. It is also important to train employees to put on (don) and take off (doff) PPE in the proper order to avoid inadvertent self-contamination (www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/ index.html). Employees who dispose of PPE and other infectious waste must also be trained and provided with appropriate PPE.
During a pandemic, recommendations for PPE use in particular occupations may change depending on geographic location, updated risk assessments for particular employees, and information on PPE effectiveness in preventing the spread of influenza. Additional respirator and surgical mask guidance for healthcare workers has been developed and is available at www.pandemicflu. gov/plan/healthcare/maskguidancehc.html. This document, Interim Guidance on Planning for the Use of Surgical Masks and Respirators in Health Care Settings during an Influenza Pandemic, provides details on the differences between a surgical mask and a respirator, the state of science regarding influenza transmission, and the rationale for determining the appropriate protective device.
What Employees Living Abroad or Who
Travel Internationally for Work Should Know
Employees living abroad and international business travelers should note that other geographic areas have different influenza seasons and will likely be affected by a pandemic at different times than the United States. The U.S. Department of State emphasizes that, in the event of a pandemic, its ability to assist Americans traveling and
