U.S. health and safety officials have issued new guidelines to help protect workers from exposure to the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne and sexually-transmitted virus that causes birth defects and other neurological disorders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are urging employers of outdoor workers, including construction, to inform all employees of the risks of exposure to Zika through mosquito bites and train employees on how to protect themselves.
The guidelines advise employers to provide insect repellents and encourage their use. Outdoor workers should also be encouraged to wear clothing to protect hands, arms, legs and other exposed areas.
In addition, the health agencies are also calling for employers to remove standing water from worksites. Employers should also consider reassigning female workers who are pregnant or may become pregnant and male workers whose partners are pregnant or may become pregnant to indoor jobs.
(more on the U.S. health agencies' Zika protection guidelines...)
