# Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic/Classifying Employee Exposure to Pandemic Influenza at Work

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Classifying Employee Exposure to Pandemic Influenza at Work
Employee risks of occupational exposure to influenza during a pandemic may vary from very high to high, medium, or lower (caution) risk. The level of risk depends in part on whether or not jobs require close proximity to people potentially infected with the pandemic influenza virus, or whether they are required to have either repeated or extended contact with known or suspected sources of pandemic influenza virus such as coworkers, the general public, outpatients, school children or other such individuals or groups.
* Very high exposure risk occupations are those with high potential exposure to high concentrations of known or suspected sources of pandemic influenza during specific medical or laboratory procedures.
* High exposure risk occupations are those with high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of pandemic influenza virus.
* Medium exposure risk occupations include jobs that require frequent, close contact (within 6 feet) exposures to known or
* Occupational Risk Pyramid for Pandemic Influenza
* Very High Exposure Risk:
* Healthcare employees (for example, doctors, nurses, dentists) performing aerosol-generating procedures on known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, cough induction procedures, bronchoscopies, some dental procedures, or invasive specimen collection).
* Healthcare or laboratory personnel collecting or handling specimens from known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, manipulating cultures from known or suspected pandemic influenza patients).
* High Exposure Risk:
* Healthcare delivery and support staff exposed to known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff that must enter patients’ rooms).
* Medical transport of known or suspected pandemic patients in enclosed vehicles (for example, emergency medical technicians).
* Performing autopsies on known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, morgue and mortuary employees).
* Medium Exposure Risk:
* Employees with high-frequency contact with the general population (such as schools, high population density work environments, and some high volume retail).
* Lower Exposure Risk (Caution):
* Employees who have minimal occupational contact with the general public and other coworkers (for example, office employees).
    suspected sources of pandemic influenza virus such as coworkers, the general public, outpatients, school children or other such individuals or groups.
Employers of critical infrastructure and key resource employees (such as law enforcement, emergency response, or public utility employees) may consider upgrading protective measures for these employees beyond what would be suggested by their exposure risk due to the necessity of such services for the functioning of society as well as the potential difficulties in replacing them during a pandemic (for example, due to extensive training or licensing requirements).
To help employers determine appropriate work practices and precautions, OSHA has divided workplaces and work operations into four risk zones, according to the likelihood of employees’ occupational exposure to pandemic influenza. We show these zones in the shape of a pyramid to represent how the risk will likely be distributed (see page 11). The vast majority of American workplaces are likely to be in the medium exposure risk or lower exposure risk (caution) groups.