Preparing for a pandemic

Public health experts around the world are keeping a close eye on avian flu (H5 N1). They know that bird flocks across Asia are infected with the virus and that people in close contact with infected chickens are contracting the flu. Currently, experts know that the avian flu is not passed from human to human, but a slight change in the virus could allow for such transmission. If that happens, the world could witness a worldwide flu crisis much like the 1918 pandemic that killed millions of people — a sobering prospect for which U.S. experts acknowledge we are not prepared. People have little or no immunity to this virus and there is no vaccine.

Two flus: What's different?

Seasonal flu occurs annually and usually in predictable seasonal patterns. Some immunity is expected from previous exposure and healthy adults are not typically at risk for serious complications. An average of 36,000 seasonal flu deaths occur annually in the U.S.

A pandemic flu is rare; there have been three in the 20th century — the last one in 1968. Since there is no previous exposure, there is little or no existing immunity and healthy people can be at risk for serious complications. After the virus is identified, it could take up to six months to develop a vaccine. The number of deaths could be high and have major impacts on society, including restrictions on travel as well as school and business closings.

Darryl Alexander, the American Federation of Teachers' health and safety director, believes local leaders should be involved with early planning at all levels — schools, colleges, health care facilities and other workplaces.

Planning to respond

The federal government has recently released information on its efforts to combat a pandemic. States have been told to develop their own plans, including how local governments should respond.

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) recently held a planning meeting with state agencies, which have been asked to complete a survey and look at preparedness levels. The DOH will soon release its plan for limited comment and will meet with county health departments to discuss efforts. The State Education Department is currently working on a departmental plan. Colleges should be engaging in campuswide planning.

Schools, colleges and universities should work directly with local county health departments. State agencies will offer guidance but county health departments will be point agencies in local areas, just as they are in other instances of communicable disease outbreaks.

The Centers for Disease Control will publish a checklist for schools in February. It is expected to be similar to the checklist for faith-based and community organizations now online. The federal Web site, www.pandemicflu.gov, has the latest information about avian flu, including checklists and plans (See Web Resources on back page).

AFL-CIO unions have petitioned the U.S. Labor Department for an emergency OSHA standard to protect workers responding to a flu pandemic (See related story in Legislative Update). An OSHA standard is unlikely, however, and the AFT will focus on grass-roots efforts such as education to protect members at work and at home.

The NYSUT Healthcare Policy Council will receive a briefing on the flu pandemic at its next meeting.

Occupational Medicine and the state Occupational Health Clinic Network

First in a series on occupation medicine and disease

What is occupational medicine?

Every day, both in and out of work, people come in contact with many chemicals, biological hazards, work practices and production methods that can result in harm to their health. Cleaning workers are especially at risk because they spend the longest part of their days at work exposed at greater levels than others. While a person cleaning windows at home may use a little of an ammonia product, a custodian who uses this same window cleaner in a school is exposed to much more ammonia while breathing at a faster rate. This can cause permanent lung damage.

The number of doctors trained to recognize and treat disease caused by exposures at work is far fewer than what is needed. Medical schools offer only a few hours of formal instruction in this type of disease. As a result, a physician who has not had the benefit of occupational medicine training has the burden of diagnosing and treating occupational disease without an adequate background.

Occupational medicine doctors are specialists trained in the recognition and treatment of occupational disease. They look beyond the symptoms to the actual cause of disease and are able to make a connection, if it exists, between exposure and disease.

Occupational disease is preventable. Occupational medicine doctors can work with the worker, union, employer and health authorities to eliminate the cause of occupational disease.

State labor unions fought for network

Through the New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network, NYSUT members have more access to occupational medicine doctors than workers in most other states. Labor unions fought hard to get the network, which the state Legislature created in 1987 to meet the increasing demand for medical services related to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of occupational disease. The OHCN is unique in the United States as a public health-based occupational disease clinical and preventive service. It contains eight clinical centers, including one with statewide responsibility in the area of agricultural safety and health.

The OHCN is a resource for workers, their unions and for health care providers, treating patients with potential work-related illnesses and injuries. They have diverse treatment teams of physicians, nurses, industrial hygienists and social workers to assist providers in assessing and managing their patients' work-related conditions and, if necessary, provide work site and social work interventions. The OHCN's board-certified occupational medicine physicians and staff are also experts in dealing with the Workers' Compensation system and assisting patients during the compensation process.

The OHCN clinics are open to workers, retirees and residents of New York state with potential work-related illness and injuries. Because they receive public funding, the clinics offer a sliding fee scale to assure access for uninsured and underinsured patients, and can bill directly to most major health insurance carriers. Plus, because of their occupational focus, the clinics are able to offer services that complement the care patients receive from their primary care physicians and other specialists, such as evaluating the work conditions of the patients to determine whether other co-workers are at risk and to improve the workplace environment.

If you suspect that you may have an occupational disease or are concerned about the risks of exposures at work, call the clinic nearest you.

Adapted from an article written by Mount Sinai–I.J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the NYS Dept of Health.

New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network Contact

Spotlight on Albany PSTA

Health and safety committee finds useful tips at national conference

Albany Public Schools Teachers Association has invigorated its health and safety effort, thanks to President Bill Ritchie and APSTA member and

districtwide Health and Safety Committee Chair Marie Taber. Taber and fellow committee member Lynn Willigan recently attended the federal Environmental Protection Agency's "Tools for Schools" annual symposium to learn more about one of the most difficult problems with which they deal — indoor air quality.

NYSUT members at the Washington , D.C., symposium were hosted by AFT. Taber said she and Willigan found inspiration, innovative ideas and motivational strategies from attending and will use them to guide the Albany schools committee to where "it needs to be."

The symposium included presentations from schools across the country that had success integrating indoor air quality investigations into the academic curriculum. Taber intends to propose Albany schools do the same in their science classrooms.

Taber became a leader in health and safety when she saw how many APSTA members were suffering from chronic illnesses she felt were clearly related to deplorable work conditions. She also understands how important good environments are to student achievement and attendance.

Given the proliferation of charter schools in the district, Taber knows that conditions must improve to help convince parents that their children should stay in Albany public schools.

Challenges ahead Albany is in the midst of multi-million dollar construction and renovation projects in almost every school. Taber sees member involvement as crucial.

"One of our plans is to train our members to be involved in commissioning of all new buildings," she said. "We are also planning to train members to conduct weekly walk-throughs in their buildings and work with administrators to resolve member concerns internally."

In addition, Taber and APSTA committee members want to guarantee that all science labs have necessary safety equipment and are not overcrowded. The district will be considering hiring a full-time industrial hygienist to investigate problems.

As in many urban districts, indoor air quality is not the only pressing problem. Violence, particularly the presence of weapons and students bullying teachers, has become one of the local's biggest concerns. The district SAVE Committee needs to be reenergized and focus on dealing with everyday problems to help create a safe and secure environment. As violence is a health and safety issue, APSTA and the districtwide health and safety committee will be catalysts for action.

As Taber said: "Our members and students have the right to a healthy and safe work environment. Involving our students, staff and community is the only way to promote awareness and improve the health and safety of our buildings."

Web Resourses

EPA Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool available

HealthySEAT brings together all of the federal Environmental Protection Agency's regulatory and voluntary programs for schools into a single, free software tool that public, private and tribal school systems can use to establish and manage comprehensive school facility assessment programs. HealthySEAT is designed to be customized by states and school systems to reflect their own priorities and needs. The software will make it easier for school systems to access and implement EPA programs as well as track the status of facility conditions across all of their schools. EPA has scheduled three Webcasts (Jan. 26, Feb. 15, and March 2) to help acquaint states, school systems, and others with the capabilities and features of HealthySEAT. Find it at www.epa.gov/schools/healthyseat/.

Personal protective equipment and patient care

On this Web site is information about personal protective equipment (PPE) regulated by the Food and Drug Administration for use in patient care, including surgical masks and surgical N-95 respirators, medical gloves, and surgical gowns. Use this site to learn about PPE used to protect health care workers and patients during patient care activities: www.fda.gov/cdrh/ppe/index.html.

HHS releases pandemic checklist to help businesses

To help businesses develop specific plans to protect employees and maintain operations during a pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a "Business Pandemic Influenza Checklist."

The checklist identifies specific activities that companies can take now to prepare for a pandemic or other types of emergencies. The checklist suggests employers plan how they would forecast employee absences during a pandemic; disseminate information to employees; establish flexible work sites; and establish policies for employees who have been exposed, are suspected to be ill or become ill at the worksite. Additional checklists to help families, schools, the travel industry and faith-based and community organizations increase their preparedness will be issued in coming weeks.

Get the checklist at www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/businesschecklist.html.

Bulletin

The NYSUT Higher Education Health and Safety Conference is scheduled for Friday, April 21, at union headquarters in Latham. The conference begins at 8:45 a.m. with registration and continues until 4:45 p.m.

The keynote speaker will be Maureen Kotlas, director of environmental safety at the University of Maryland/College Park. Topics to be covered throughout the day include indoor air quality; chemical

safety and hazardous materials on campus; disruptive students; accessibility requirements; and negotiating health and safety language in contracts.

Look for registration forms in the mail or go online at www.nysut.org.

Legislative Update

Federal:

OSHA standards proposed for flu workers

In response to federal preparedness plans for a pandemic flu outbreak, AFL-CIO unions have submitted a proposal for an emergency, temporary OSHA standard for pandemic

flu preparedness. The purpose is to protect health care workers, emergency responders and other essential personnel, and to address issues such as respiratory protection and job-based infection control measures. Unions believe current federal guidelines and checklists fail to adequately address workplace dangers.

State:

Health and Safety Awareness Day set

The third annual Occupational Health and Safety Awareness Day will be celebrated March 7. It highlights job health and safety education and preventive efforts and was conceived by the New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network.

The day promotes the health and safety of New York 's 8.6 million workers and the unique work of the network. Planned events include many New York union and clinic network supporters meeting with state legislators in Albany to promote the mission of the clinics and to urge passage of important health and safety legislation.

NYSUT analyzing state budget proposal

At press time, the governor had just released his 2006 state budget proposal. NYSUT is analyzing his appropriations and will seek to maintain or increase funding levels for health and safety-related programs such as monies for K-12 school maintenance and repair, and the Occupational Health Clinic Network.

Health & Safety is a newsletter published periodically for New York State United Teachers' Health and Safety committee members. NYSUT locals and staff have permission to reprint all Health & Safety content.

President
Dick Iannuzzi

Executive Vice President
Alan Lubin

First Vice President
Maria Neira

Second Vice President
Kathleen M. Donahue

Secretary/Treasurer
Ivan Tiger

New York State United Teachers
800 Troy-Schenectady Road
Latham, NY 12110-2455
(518) 213-6000
(800) 342-9810
Contact: Wendy Hord

Representing more than 525,000 teachers, school-related professionals, academic and professional faculty in higher education, professionals in education and health care, and retirees. For more, see www.nysut.org.