Wellbeing at Work

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Reducing the spread of transmissible diseases at work

While transmissible diseases including COVID-19 continue to be found in the population, control measures can be used to reduce their spread in the workplace.

Legal requirements

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, employers have a duty of care to ensure that their workers remain healthy at work—which includes mitigating risk factors associated with the spread of communicable diseases.

There is solid research as well as government regulations and polices that set out ways in which to prevent the spread of communicable diseases (see Hansen et al., 2018; Ministry of Health (Manatū Hauora), 2021;  Ministry of Health (Manatū Hauora), 2022; WorkSafe, 2017).

Using standards

When putting systems in place, apply the AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 standard which takes an Occupational Health Safety and Management Systems (OHSMS) approach. The standard provides guidance on how to manage risks, including communicable diseases, and the legal requirements.

A key consideration of an OHSMS is that the organisation should carefully plan activities, and review responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and resources needed to prevent and control communicable diseases. An OHSMS also requires commitment from all levels of the organisation, especially that of senior management (ACC, 2023).

Managing transmission risks at work

While not all communicable diseases are reportable diseases, it is essential that organisations take a system wide approach to managing disease outbreak in the workplace.

If a particular outbreak is reportable, public health measures will be put in place—as happened during the COVID-19 outbreak. In this case, data collection, analysis, and tracking become an vital part of the public health management process.

In managing the risks of transmission, it is important that workers at all levels are heard, including:

  • managers
  • workers
  • OHS representatives
  • technical experts, where required.

While recommendations are developed, policy and procedures can also be written.

Workplace procedures to manage the spread of disease

Regular cleaning schedules

Areas that have high-touch surfaces, such as door handles and keyboards, can be regularly wiped to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Bathrooms and toilets need to have a regular cleaning schedule.

Workers should be encouraged to clean their hands regularly, especially after using the bathroom, before eating meals, and while handling food.

Taking time away from work

Where an individual has a transmissible disease such as COVID-19 or measles they should be supported to stay  away from work until they are no longer infectious.

Social distancing practices

While this may be easier in some workplaces than in others, maintaining distance between people has been shown to reduce the spread of infectious diseases (Qian & Jiang, 2022).

In our recent pandemic, social distance practices included:

  • staggered work schedules
  • alternating office days
  • allowing fewer people on-site at one time
  • avoiding close contact with people—such as handshaking, kissing, and hugging.

If a person is infectious, they should be isolated so that the infection does not transmit to other people and the infection can be contained (CDC, 2020).

Using personal protective equipment (PPE)

Where appropriate, employers should either mandate or encourage workers to wear PPE, including face masks and gloves, to protect both themselves, their co-workers, and the general population from the spread of infectious disease.

Encouraging vaccinations

Workers should be encouraged to stay up to date with vaccines. Prioritising education around vaccines in the workplace will also help to discourage the spread of misinformation.

Accessible education resources and training for workers

Educational resources from public health sources and WorkSafe New Zealand can be used to inform employers and workers about the risk of transmissible diseases.

Review and improve

Continuous review of these policies and practices should be timely, engaging, and supportive in the face of a rapidly changing environment.

For example, in the health care setting, the clinical team may review:

  • any legislative changes
  • staff, patient, and whānau feedback
  • MOH directives
  • staff protection from any illness that may compromise the service.