New rules, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, urge employers to inform outdoor workers of the risks of exposure to the Zika virus.
The virus is transmitted through mosquito bites and the agencies advise employers to train employees on how to protect themselves. The agencies say employers should provide insect repellents and encourage their use, and urge workers to wear clothing that protects their hands, arms, legs, and other exposed areas.
Employers should also consider providing workers with hats outfitted with mosquito netting to protect the face and neck. The guidelines also call on employers to consider reassigning female workers who are pregnant or may become pregnant and male workers whose partner is pregnant or may become pregnant to indoor jobs to reduce their risk of mosquito bites.
To prevent mosquito breeding areas, employers should remove standing water from work sites. Zika infections can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. There is also strong scientific consensus that Zika can cause Guillain-Barre disease, which causes temporary paralysis in adults.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Jan 25, 2018
Cost estimating for K-12 school projects: An invaluable tool for budget management
Clients want to be able to track costs at every stage of a project, and cost estimates (current and life cycle) are valuable planning and design tools, writes LS3P's Ginny Magrath, AIA.
AEC Tech | Jan 25, 2018
Four high-tech solutions to mitigate theft on the jobsite
Geo-fencing and drone surveillance are among the tech solutions for protecting jobsites from asset loss.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 24, 2018
Apartment rent rates jump 2.5% in 2017, led by small and mid-sized markets
The average price for one-bedroom units increased the most.
Hotel Facilities | Jan 24, 2018
U.S. hotel markets with the largest construction pipelines
Dallas, Houston, and New York lead the way, with more than 460 hotel projects in the works.
Architects | Jan 24, 2018
Strong finish for architecture billings in 2017
The Architecture Billings Index concluded the year in positive terrain, with the December reading capping off three straight months of growth in design billings.
Architects | Jan 10, 2018
7 steps to ending a low growth cycle
Here are the top 10 marketing techniques as rated by high-growth firms and how they compare to their no-growth counterparts.
Big Data | Jan 5, 2018
In the age of data-driven design, has POE’s time finally come?
At a time when research- and data-based methods are playing a larger role in architecture, there remains a surprisingly scant amount of post-occupancy research. But that’s starting to change.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 4, 2018
Shigeru Ban’s mass timber tower in Vancouver gets city approval
The 232-foot-tall Terrace House luxury condo development will be the tallest hybrid wood structure in North America.
Contractors | Jan 4, 2018
Construction spending in a ‘mature’ period of incremental growth
Labor shortages are spiking wages. Materials costs are rising, too.
