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Urs Schlüter and Gudrun Walendzik, The German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Germany

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) defines dangerous substances as ‘any liquid, gas or solid that poses a risk to workers’ health or safety’. Risk assessment for these can be a complicated issue for employers. Many, especially small and medium sized enterprises (SME), do not have the resources (knowledge, time, personnel) for sound risk assessments. On the one hand European Directives set minimum standards:

Catherine Makison (Health & Safety Laboratory)

During an outbreak of human infectious disease, the numbers affected will vary depending on the disease, location, susceptible population size, environment etc. When disease numbers exceed a set threshold for that illness it is considered to be of epidemic proportion, i.e., disproportionate to the norm. The in 2020 is an example of such an epidemic.

This article gives examples of micro-organisms that can cause disease of epidemic scale and how they are transmitted. It focuses on occupational health during an epidemic and how some industries, such as healthcare, are more susceptible to worker ill health than others. It covers infection prevention and control by good work and hygiene practices and using personal protective equipment.