While most trucking companies are not at high risk for anthrax exposure, implementing procedures and policies to deal with the possibility can help protect your company from exposure, not only to anthrax or other bioterrorism, but also to legal liabilities.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently released guidelines - not regulations - to help employers assess risk to their workers, provide appropriate protective equipment and specify safe work practices for low, medium and high risk levels in the workplace.
OSHA developed the "anthrax matrix" with the help of the U.S. Postal Service, the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency and the FBI. Shaped like a pyramid, the matrix includes three sections: green for low, yellow for medium and red for high risk of exposure. Each section links to useful information and practical guidance to help determine an appropriate response.
The green zone designates workplaces where contamination is unlikely, and most trucking companies will fall into this category, along with the vast majority of u.s. workplaces, according to Laurie Baulig, a partner with the Washington, D.C., law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, and Hanson and former Senior Vice President for Policy and Regulatory Affairs of the American Trucking Associations.
OSHA recommends that green zone companies establish procedures and educate employees about safe handling of mail and packages, following the guidelines on the OSHA web site at www.osha.gov.. Companies also should establish procedures for handling mail that appears to contain a suspicious powder or other unusual substance. It also suggests that employers consider providing nitrile or vinyl gloves (not latex, which can allow anthrax spores to get through) to employees who request them.
"Even though this is new territory, both legally and from a public health perspective, you could face legal exposure for doing nothing," Baulig says. "If one of your employees becomes exposed to anthrax, you could face OSHA inspection, citations, exposure under worker's comp and occupational disease statutes, negligence or wrongful death lawsuits, and negative publicity and severe disruption to business."
Baulig also recommends that in addition to setting policy for mail handling and possible exposure to anthrax, that trucking companies make sure employees know that anthrax hoaxes will not be tolerated. Companies are at greater risk for an anthrax hoax than for actual exposure to anthrax itself, with more than 500 anthrax hoaxes or incidents reported each day in the U.S.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently released guidelines - not regulations - to help employers assess risk to their workers, provide appropriate protective equipment and specify safe work practices for low, medium and high risk levels in the workplace.
OSHA developed the "anthrax matrix" with the help of the U.S. Postal Service, the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency and the FBI. Shaped like a pyramid, the matrix includes three sections: green for low, yellow for medium and red for high risk of exposure. Each section links to useful information and practical guidance to help determine an appropriate response.
The green zone designates workplaces where contamination is unlikely, and most trucking companies will fall into this category, along with the vast majority of u.s. workplaces, according to Laurie Baulig, a partner with the Washington, D.C., law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, and Hanson and former Senior Vice President for Policy and Regulatory Affairs of the American Trucking Associations.
OSHA recommends that green zone companies establish procedures and educate employees about safe handling of mail and packages, following the guidelines on the OSHA web site at www.osha.gov.. Companies also should establish procedures for handling mail that appears to contain a suspicious powder or other unusual substance. It also suggests that employers consider providing nitrile or vinyl gloves (not latex, which can allow anthrax spores to get through) to employees who request them.
"Even though this is new territory, both legally and from a public health perspective, you could face legal exposure for doing nothing," Baulig says. "If one of your employees becomes exposed to anthrax, you could face OSHA inspection, citations, exposure under worker's comp and occupational disease statutes, negligence or wrongful death lawsuits, and negative publicity and severe disruption to business."
Baulig also recommends that in addition to setting policy for mail handling and possible exposure to anthrax, that trucking companies make sure employees know that anthrax hoaxes will not be tolerated. Companies are at greater risk for an anthrax hoax than for actual exposure to anthrax itself, with more than 500 anthrax hoaxes or incidents reported each day in the U.S.
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