If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
People tend to want privacy when they seek out bathrooms for bathing or using drugs. Consider ways to make your bathrooms hospitable but less private. If you have a long hallway to the bathroom area, invest in better lighting and mirrors to reduce blind spots. Install stall doors that open out and have a way for managers to open them from the outside with a special key so that first responders can get to someone unconscious inside. This can help prevent deaths from medical emergencies. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of hand dryers; though less sanitary than paper towels, they also make bathrooms less inviting for bathing. Adding medical waste (sharps) containers can help prevent accidental needlesticks as your employees take out the trash and are useful for guests and customers who inject insulin or other medications. Perhaps the simplest solution to implement is to increase the frequency of your bathroom checks. Develop a strong system that also focuses on supporting your employees’ mental health and safety when they encounter difficult situations.
Sources: ZHH, Univ. of Victoria
This week, milk from older dairy cows in TX, KS, and NM tested positive for the H5N1 avian flu, the same bird flu that has been sweeping through wild birds, commercial flocks, and dozens of species of wild mammals. Last week, goats on a commercial farm in Minnesota tested positive, and now dairy cows in multiple states have, too. The good news is that the commercial milk supply is not at high risk. Pasteurization kills viruses and is required for interstate sales, so your wholesale supplier or grocery store milk is very low risk. But public health experts are still anxious about this new spread to a mammal that isn’t usually particularly susceptible to the same viruses as birds. If they’re getting sick from direct contact with sick birds, that’s one thing. If they’re spreading it between cows, then there may be more cause for concern about the potential risk to humans in the future. Right now, there’s no need to change any of your behavior. We recommend that you continue to avoid unpasteurized milk because of the risk of dangerous pathogens.
First, make sure the employee gets prompt medical attention. Once they’re getting medical attention, be sure to wear proper PPE and use your body fluid clean up kit. Generally, it’s best to assign a single person to do the cleanup, even though many will want to help. Limiting exposure and having one person in charge is helpful. Carefully follow the instructions in your kit, being sure to check all surrounding areas and disinfect carefully. Seal and dispose of the waste properly - consider this a biohazard and act accordingly. Be sure to follow proper reporting guidelines for your company and re-order a body fluid cleanup kit immediately so that you don’t run out when you need another one. If you don’t have clear body fluid and blood cleanup processes, reach out to ZHH for help developing them.
Source: ZHH App
The CDC shared new guidance for improving indoor ventilation to reduce the spread of viruses. This includes recommendations for how to configure your HVAC, types of filters or UV treatments to consider, and more:
CDC releases ventilation guidance for curbing indoor respiratory virus spread - CIDRAP