Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

OSHA Guidance on Workplace Safety and the Flu Highlighted by the OTI Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District

  • 12/29/17

DUBLIN, CA – The OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District in Dublin, CA, the only OSHA-authorized OTI Education Center headquartered in Northern California, is highlighting important information and guidance available from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on reducing the spread of seasonal flu in workplaces.

OSHA’s Season Flu webpage provides information on the basic precautions to be used in all workplaces as well as additional precautions that should be used in healthcare settings to protect workers who are at higher risk for exposure to the flu virus through patient contact.

“OSHA’s seasonal flu overview includes a link to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on protecting individuals from seasonal flu, including updates on the most recent vaccine,” says Cari Elofson, assistant director of the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. “Each year the seasonal flu vaccine is revised to protect against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the current season.”

CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), also known as the "nasal spray" flu vaccine, should not be used during the 2017-2018 flu season. ACIP continues to recommend annual flu vaccination, with either the inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) or recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV), for everyone 6 months and older. The IIV and RIV are both available in formulations that protect against either three or four flu viruses.

The potential for pandemic (global) flu should be on the radar of all employers. A mild, moderate or severe pandemic can occur at any time. Since it is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, planning for pandemic influenza by business and industry is essential to minimize a pandemic's impact. Although the pandemic H1N1 flu in 2009 was considered by the CDC to be mild, it created significant challenges for employers and workers and showed that many workplaces were not prepared. For information on pandemic flu planning, see OSHA’s Pandemic Influenza webpage.

The OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District urges all employers to take advantage of OSHA’s guidance, information and resources to help reduce the spread of seasonal flu in their workplaces.

About the OSHA Training Institute Education Center
The OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District offers high quality Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards-based training for the construction, maritime, and general industry in Dublin, CA, conveniently located in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as locations throughout California, Nevada, and Hawaii. Programs offered include OSHA safety standards, Outreach Trainer courses, Cal/OSHA standards and customized on-site safety training. For more information, including a complete course schedule, visit the OSHA Training Institute Education Center website.

Featured

  • Minnesota District Starts Construction on Early Childhood Learning Center

    Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools in Sauk Rapids, Minn., recently announced that construction has begun on a new early childhood learning center and a new outdoor activities complex, according to a news release.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.