RIT Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan For Employees

1. Maintain physical distancing;
2. Exercise coughing/sneezing etiquette;
3. Wear face coverings, gloves, and personal protective equipment, as appropriate;
4. Individuals limit what they touch;
5. Stop certain social etiquette behaviors that involve physical contact such as hugging and hand shaking;
6. Wash hands properly and often; and
7. Other controls put in place by the university. 

If an employee develops symptoms of the infectious disease, that individual should not be on campus. That employee should inform the designated contact and follow New York State Department of Health (the “NYSDOH”) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) guidance regarding obtaining medical care and isolation.

Employees will be screened for symptoms of the infectious disease prior to coming onto campus. They are to self-monitor throughout their time on the RIT campus and report any new or emerging signs or symptoms of the infectious disease to the designated contact. Any employee showing signs or symptoms of the infectious disease should be removed from campus and should contact a healthcare professional for instructions. The health screening elements will follow guidance from NYSDOH and CDC guidance, if available.

All employees shall wear face coverings throughout the workday to the greatest extent possible. Face coverings and physical distancing should be used together whenever possible. The face covering must cover the nose and mouth, and fit snugly, but comfortably, against the face. The face covering itself must not create a hazard, e.g. have features that could get caught in machinery or cause severe fogging of eyewear. The face coverings must be kept clean and sanitary and changed when soiled, contaminated, or damaged.

Physical distancing will be followed as much as feasible. RIT Community members will avoid unnecessary gatherings and maintain a distance of at least six feet (or as recommended by the NYSDOH/CDC for the infectious agent) from each other. Face coverings will be used when physical distance cannot be maintained.

To prevent the spread of infection, employees should wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean hands BEFORE and AFTER:

• Touching your eyes, nose, and mouth;
• Touching your mask;
• Entering and leaving a public place; and
• Touching an item or surface that may be frequently touched by other people, such as door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping carts, or electronic cashier registers/screens

Please refer to the section on Housekeeping During a Designated Outbreak.

Because certain infectious diseases can be spread by droplets expelled from the mouth and nose, all employees should exercise appropriate respiratory etiquette by covering nose and mouth when sneezing, coughing, or yawning.

Some employees, due to age, underlying health condition, or other factors, may be at increased risk of severe illness if infected. Please inform your supervisor or the HR department if you fall within this group and seek an accommodation.

RIT should consider the temporary suspension or elimination of risky activities where minimum controls could not provide sufficient protection for employees.

RIT should consider appropriate controls to contain and/or remove the infectious agent, prevent the agent from being spread, or isolate the member of the RIT Community from the infectious agent. Examples of engineering controls include:

1. Mechanical Ventilation includes, for example:
   1. Local exhaust ventilation;
   2. Ventilated booths (lab hoods);
   3. Kitchen vents; and
   4. Vented biosafety cabinets.
2. General Ventilation, includes, for example:
   1. Dedicated ventilation systems for cooking areas, malls, atriums, surgical suites, manufacturing, welding, indoor painting, laboratories, negative pressure isolation rooms;
   2. Increasing the percentage of fresh air introduced into air handling systems;
   3. Avoiding air recirculation;
   4. Using higher-efficiency air filters in the air handling system; and
   5. If fans are used in the facility, arrange them so that air does not blow directly from one worker to another.
3. Natural Ventilation.
   1. Opening outside windows and doors to create natural ventilation; and
   2. Opening windows on one side of the room to let fresh air in and installing window exhaust fans on the opposite side of the room so that they exhaust air outdoors. (Note: This method is appropriate only if air will not blow from one person to another.)
4. Install automatic disinfection systems (e.g., ultraviolet light disinfection systems).
5. Install cleanable barriers such as partitions and/or clear plastic sneeze/cough guards.
6. Change layout to avoid points or areas where employees may congregate (e.g., install additional time clocks).

Administrative Controls are policies and work rules used to prevent exposure. Examples include:

1. Increasing the space between employees;
2. Slowing production speed to accommodate fewer employees at a time;
3. Disinfecting procedures for specific operations;
4. Not shaking out soiled laundry;
5. Faculty and staff training;
6. Identifying and prioritizing the job functions that are essential for continuous operations;
7. Cross-training employees to ensure critical operations can continue during worker absence;
8. Limiting the use of shared workstations;
9. Post signs reminding employees of respiratory etiquette, masks, handwashing;
10. Rearranging traffic flow to allow for one-way walking paths;
11. Providing clearly designated entrance and exits;
12. Providing additional short breaks for handwashing and cleaning; and
13. Establishing pods or cohorts working on same shift.

Personal Protective Equipment (“PPE”) are devices like eye protection, face shields, respirators, and gloves that protect the wearer from infection. PPE will be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition at no cost to the employee. The PPE provided to an employee will be based on a hazard assessment for the workplace.

1. Objects that are touched repeatedly by multiple individuals, such as door handles, light switches, control buttons/levers, dials, levers, water faucet handles, computers, phones, or handrails must be cleaned frequently with an appropriate disinfectant. Surfaces that are handled less often, or by fewer individuals, may require less frequent disinfection.
2. The disinfection methods and schedules selected are based on specific workplace conditions.
3. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) and the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) have compiled lists of approved disinfectants that are effective against many infectious agents. Select disinfectants based on NYSDOH and CDC guidance and follow manufacturer guidance for methods, dilution, use, and contact time.

1. Normal housekeeping duties and schedules should continue to be followed during an infectious disease outbreak, to the extent practicable and appropriate consistent with NYSDOH and/or CDC guidance in effect at the time. However, routine procedures may need to be adjusted and additional cleaning and disinfecting may be required.
2. Housekeeping staff may be at increased risk because they may be cleaning potentially contaminated surfaces. Some housekeeping activities, like dry sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting, can re-suspend into the air particles that are contaminated with the infectious agent. For that reason, alternative methods and/or increased levels of protection may be needed.
3. Rather than dusting, for example, the CDC recommends cleaning surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting them. Conducting housekeeping during “off” hours may also reduce other workers’ exposures to the infectious agent. Best practice dictates that housekeepers should wear respiratory protection.

If an employee develops symptoms of the infectious disease while on campus, it is ideal to isolate the area in accordance with guidance issued by NYSDOH or the CDC, before cleaning and disinfecting the exposed area. This delay will allow contaminated droplets to settle out of the air and the space to be ventilated.

As feasible, liners should be used in trash containers. Empty the containers often enough to prevent overfilling. Do not forcefully squeeze the air out of the trash bags before tying them closed. Trash containers may contain soiled tissue or face coverings.