flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

OSHA issues advisory to protect workers from Zika virus

Contractors

OSHA issues advisory to protect workers from Zika virus

Construction industry workers considered at high risk.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | April 29, 2016
OSHA issues advisory to protect workers from Zika virus

Photo: coniferconifer/Creative Commons.

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

| Sep 12, 2022

San Antonio’s new courthouse aims to provide safety and security while also welcoming the public

The San Antonio Federal Courthouse, which opened earlier this year, replaces a courthouse that had been constructed as a pavilion for the 1968 World’s Fair. 

Giants 400 | Sep 9, 2022

Top 25 Casino Contractors + CM Firms for 2022

The Yates Companies, W.E. O'Neil Construction, Alberici-Flintco, and PCL Construction Enterprises top the ranking of the nation's largest casino contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Sep 9, 2022

Top 90 Hospitality Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022

AECOM, Suffolk Construction, STO Building Group, and The Yates Companies top the ranking of the nation's largest hospitality facilities sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all hospitality facilities work, including casinos, hotels, and resorts. 

Giants 400 | Sep 9, 2022

Top 80 Hotel Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022

AECOM, Suffolk Construction, STO Building Group, and Swinerton top the ranking of the nation's largest hotel and resort sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

| Sep 9, 2022

Add sand shortage to supply chain woes

As if it wasn’t enough to have lumber, windows, doors, and metal pipe in short supply, you can add sand, which is theoretically plentiful on Earth, to the list of construction materials that can be hard to come by.

Senior Living Design | Sep 8, 2022

What’s new with AQ: The top trends in active adult living

Today's 55-or-better buyers are ready to design their lives and their homes as they see fit. With so much growth on tap, builders and developers must stay apprised of trends related to home, environment, and culture of 55+ communities.

| Sep 8, 2022

The Twin Cities’ LGBTQ health clinic moves into a new and improved facility

For more than 50 years, Family Tree Clinic has provided reproductive and sexual health services to underserved populations—from part of an old schoolhouse, until recently.

| Sep 8, 2022

U.S. construction costs expected to rise 14% year over year by close of 2022

Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE) is forecasting a 14.1% year-on-year increase in U.S. construction costs by the close of 2022.

Giants 400 | Sep 7, 2022

Top 110 Industrial Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022

Clayco, Arco Construction, Ryan Companies, and STO Building Group top the ranking of the nation's largest industrial facility sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

| Sep 7, 2022

Use of GBCI building performance tools rapidly expanding

More than seven billion square feet of project space is now being tracked using Green Business Certification Inc.’s (GBCI’s) Arc performance platform.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021