Latest public education resources to combat airborne-transmitted diseases made possible by CDC/NIOSH grant

AIHA, the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring occupational and environmental health and safety in the workplace and community, announced the availability of new free public education resources on its Commit To C.A.R.E. (Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Equity) website thanks to continued funding provided through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / NIOSH. In late 2022, the CDC awarded AIHA $110,000 to develop additional materials that help businesses and communities address the ongoing public health threat from COVID-19 and be better prepared for future pandemics and epidemics.

All resources on the Commit To C.A.R.E. website are available for free and offer easily digestible information to help keep workers and the public safe from airborne-transmitted diseases, such as COVID-19, the flu, and measles - diseases that can wreak havoc on normal business operations.

Resources are categorized on the website as follows:

• Risk Assessment Tools – Science-based videos and checklists on various topics including: the importance of risk factors and mitigation strategies; the role of ventilation in keeping people safe; how to properly put on/take off a respirator for high-risk industries like healthcare; and how to properly store and wear a mask. These resources are available in nine languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.

• Indoor Air Quality Tools – Videos and other knowledge products that address the multiple health risks associated with poor indoor air quality including tips to improve ventilation and enhanced filtration inside the built space; guidance on choosing supplemental technologies for disinfection such as in-room air cleaners and germicidal UV light, with easy-to-follow formulas on how to determine the best technology for your space. Available in English and Spanish.

• Vaccines & Testing Tools – Multimedia resources that provide an in-depth analysis of how vaccines work, FAQs on implementing a vaccination or testing policy in the workplace and fact-checking common myths about COVID-19 vaccines. Available in English and Spanish.

In addition, a range of comprehensive workplace and community resources from the CDC, IBEC (The Integrated Bioscience and Built Environment Consortium), and AIHA are also accessible on Commit2CARE.org.

“Years of review and analysis grounded in science have gone into the creation of our Commit To C.A.R.E. materials which we could not have accomplished without the generous support of the cooperative agreement with CDC/NIOSH,” said AIHA CEO Lawrence Sloan. “OEHS professionals are committed to empowering people to safeguard their workplaces from the real threat of any infectious airborne disease. As the Commit To C.A.R.E. initiative continues to evolve and attract new organizational and corporate partners, we are expanding our reach even further by offering a suite of easy-to-understand educational resources for the public.”

Since 2021, the CDC grant through the NIOSH cooperative agreement has awarded AIHA a total of $620,000 in grants to create resources for the Commit To C.A.R.E. program.

“Creating easy-to-understand and implement educational tools camped firmly in science is critical to ensuring that workers can stay healthy and better protected from airborne infectious diseases,” said IBEC’s Chief Science Officer, Kenneth F. Martinez, CIH. “This body of work has grown to include important lessons learned from COVID-19 that we can carry forward to better protect our communities and ensure these are not lessons lost when facing other airborne infectious diseases.”

For more information or to access the free multimedia resources such as checklists, posters, flyers, and videos, visit: Commit2Care.org.

About AIHA

AIHA is the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring occupational and environmental health and safety in the workplace and community. Founded in 1939, we support our members with our expertise, networks, comprehensive education programs, and other products and services that help them maintain the highest professional and competency standards. More than half of AIHA's nearly 8,500 members are Certified Industrial Hygienists, and many hold other professional designations. AIHA serves as a resource for those employed across the public and private sectors, as well as to the communities in which they work.

About IBEC

IBEC, a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization, helps bridge the gap between proven scientific processes and real-world applications for healthy gathering. We strive to change how infectious diseases are addressed and contained worldwide. IBEC partners with more than 70 organizations worldwide covering an array of technical disciplines, knowledge areas, and industries including industrial hygiene, biosafety, infectious disease control, occupational safety and health to provide real-world solutions that mitigate risk, liability and protect what matters most – people.

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