Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, maintenance and engineering managers in institutional and commercial facilities took a series of steps designed to protect occupants and visitors in reopened buildings from the airborne virus. From revamped entrances and social distancing measures to renovated offices and restrooms, managers sought to minimize the spread of the illness in the workplace.
How successful were these efforts?
One in five workers in non-healthcare settings reported being exposed to COVID-19 at work, according to a new study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The study examined the differences in exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 among people who worked outside of the home in non-healthcare settings.
Recently published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the study found that workers might experience different COVID-19 exposure opportunities under varying work characteristics. A person’s occupation, industry and specific job duties determine how physically close to others they must work, whether they are potentially exposed to infectious agents and whether they need to interact with the public.
“We found exposure to COVID-19 at work was common among survey respondents,” says Hannah Free, NIOSH technical information specialist and lead author of the study. “Despite not being in healthcare, many of the workers that were surveyed who contracted COVID-19 had in-person contact with coworkers or the public.”
Key findings from the study include:
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 25 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
