CDC Publishes In-Depth Report on Preventing Workplace Infections

Workers collaborating 

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Based in East Providence, Rhode Island, Martins Maintenance is a janitorial company focused on reducing workplace infections. Martins Maintenance educates employers and employees on healthy workplace practices. Some of its recommendations are based on evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

In March 2019, researchers from the CDC published a comprehensive report that highlighted ways to make workplaces safer. The report was a culmination of an extensive evaluation of 66 investigations on infectious diseases in US workplaces between 2006 and 2015.

Researchers deduced that bacteria were the most common cause of infections, followed by viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Most of the cases of infection were concentrated in certain industries, such as health care and public service.

Many factors were to blame for the spread of infection, including ease of pathogen transmission, high office populations, poor workplace safety monitoring, and poor health policies and practices. The report recommended a host of measures to reduce workplace infections.

The measures include improving office ventilation to reduce risk of airborne diseases, requiring protective gear for workers in environments with known pathogens, training workers on safe working protocols, and developing robust in-house and sector-wide policies on office cleanliness.