Communicable

Disease
Awareness
 • Self guided course
• Quiz at the end
• Moving through the presentation:
Instructions o Click your mouse button to advance to next slide
o Press to close the pop up information window
 At the end of this course you should:

• Understand what is a communicable disease and how they are

commonly spread
• Know your responsibilities
• Know the risk, and understand how to reduce the risk:
• Risk Identification
Course Course
Outline • Prevention
• Risk Controls
Objectives • Communicable Disease Incident Procedure
• Where to find more information
• Complete the Quiz
 • A communicable disease is an illness caused by an infectious agent
or its toxic product that can be transmitted by:
• contact with infected individuals or their bodily discharges or
fluids
• contact with contaminated surfaces or objects
• Examples of communicable diseases that may circulate in a
workplace include but is not limited to COVID-19 and seasonal flu
What is a • Please see the City of Surrey Communicable Disease Plan for more
Communicable information.

Disease? NOTE: Communicable diseases may also be spread by contact with

blood or other bodily fluids which may transfer disease through cuts or
other openings in the skin, transfer to the eyes, nose or mouth. Please
see the City of Surrey Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan
when there is a potential bloodborne pathogen exposure.
 How is it
Commonly
Close personal contact – touching
Spread? or shaking hands

Respiratory droplets from a cough or Touching something with a virus on

sneeze it then touching your eyes or mouth
What are my Responsibilities?
Employer (City of Surrey) Responsibilities:
Supervisor Responsibilities:
Worker Responsibilities:
OHS Section Responsibilities:
Worker Responsibilities:
• Report any communicable disease safety concerns,
unsafe conditions or acts to their supervisor or
•
safety@surrey.ca.
Wash hands frequently.
• Follow cough/sneeze etiquette.
• Follow established communicable disease prevention
and practises approach as directed by the employer or
supervisor.
• Use Personal Protective Equipment as instructed and
required.
• Know the location of washing facilities, including hand
sanitizer dispensing stations.
• Sanitize shared work surfaces and equipment after use.
• If you become sick with symptoms compatible with a
communicable disease you need to stay at home and
notify your supervisor and seek medical health
guidance.
• Ask questions and provide feedback to managers on the
City’s communicable disease prevention safe work
practices.
• If a medical accommodation is required contact the
Workplace Health Specialist to confidentially discuss
needs.
What are my Responsibilities?
Employer (City of Surrey) Responsibilities:
• Monitor and review communicable disease-related information issued by regional
health officers or the Provincial Health Officer.
• Once the level of risk has been identified, with guidance from the Fraser
Health Authority, use the Hierarchy of Controls to reduce the risk.
• Implement policies to support staff who have symptoms of communicable disease.
• Provide hand-hygiene facilities with appropriate supplies and use policies and
signage to remind workers to wash their hands regularly and to cover coughs and
sneezes.
• Maintain a clean environment through routine cleaning processes appropriate for
the workplace.
• Ensure that building ventilation is adequate, and systems are properly maintained.
• Support employees in receiving vaccinations for vaccine-preventable conditions.
• Provide employees with communication and training surrounding safe work
practices, including this Communicable Disease Safety Plan and encourage
employees to ask questions and provide feedback to managers.
In addition, when advised by Public Health and during a period of elevated risk, we
must:
• Follow the directions from medical health officers and the regional health
authority.
• Follow all orders, guidance, recommendations, and notices issued by the Provincial
Health Officer.
• Reassess policies and practices based on updated guidance from regional or
provincial health authorities.
Supervisor Responsibilities:
• Ensure that workers are adequately instructed on the
work procedures and preventative measures at their
work location.
• Ensure workplace measures are being followed by
workers.
• Communicate with area Exempt Managers regarding
workers’ concerns or illnesses. (Please maintain
privacy and confidentially – seek guidance from
Human Resources when clarification is required.)
OHS Section Responsibilities:
• Involve the City-Wide Joint Occupational Health &
Safety Committee in reviewing the communicable
disease plan on a regular basis as done with other
safety programs and practices.
• Continue to work with the committee when
identifying and resolving workplace safety issues.
• Address any reported communicable safety
concerns.
 Risk of communicable diseases, including Coronavirus may increase from time to
time or on a seasonal basis. This may occur at a local or regional level, or within
a certain workplace.

Recognizing signs and symptoms and modes of transmission is the first step in
reducing the incidence of communicable diseases.

Signs and symptoms vary depending on the disease, but typically include fever
and other flu-like symptoms: achiness, upset stomach, fatigue, fever, and
headaches.

Risk Identification Contact 8-1-1 for guidance and direction or seek medical attention if you are
symptomatic or may have come into contact with a communicable disease.

Name Vaccine Description of Symptoms

Preventable?
Coronavirus Yes Symptoms: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue,
(COVID-19) muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion
or runny rose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.
Transmission: person-to-person via droplets, coughing, sneezing, or talking, sharing
items, touching contaminated objects.
Influenza Yes Symptoms: fever* or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose,
muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue (tiredness), sometimes vomiting and
diarrhea.
Transmission: person-to-person via droplets, coughing sneezing, or talking; sharing
items; touching contaminate objects.
*it’s important to note that not everyone with flu with have a fever.
Reducing the Risk –
Prevention
Primary Methods:
• Hand and surface hygiene
• Sanitation
• Isolation
• Vaccination
Hand Washing
Procedure
Cough/Sneeze
Etiquette
Reducing the Risk – Prevention:
Additional Methods: • Get tested if you have communicable disease
• Daily self-screening for symptoms prior to leaving symptoms even if you have been fully vaccinated.
home. • If confirmed positive cooperate with contact tracing so others
may be advised to self-monitor/self-isolate.
• Stay home if sick. • Post communicable disease prevention signs and
• Frequent hand washing or use alcohol-based hand posters in the workplace.
sanitizer. • Maintain appropriate immunizations and vaccinations.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed • Maintain social distance from others when possible.
hands.
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment:
• Using proper cough/sneeze etiquette.
• N95 mask should be worn when providing first-aid or
• Routinely clean and disinfect work surfaces or high emergency first responder medical-aid services based on a field
traffic touch points. level risk assessment.

• Avoid public places when sick to prevent the

spread of communicable disease.
Reducing the Risk – Control Measures
Communication
Communicable disease events require extensive awareness communication to ensure the whole organization is
communicating the same facts, risks, and controls to keep people safe.
• Awareness Posters, written policies and procedures, education & training, safety meeting minutes and
regular communication from Human Resources will assist in increasing the awareness of the communicable
disease plan in our workplaces.
• When appropriate, communications to employees with respect to the prevention of communicable diseases
will be communicated in the following ways:
• discussed with them by their supervisor or manager.
• emailed to them.
• posted on the Occupational Health and Safety section on CityNet.
• posted at worksites and on safety boards.
• contact from the OHS section.
• Employees are responsible to read and understand these communications. If you need clarification, then
please discuss with you supervisor.
Reducing the Risk – Control Measures
Communication (Cont.)
If the City is notified of an exposure to a communicable disease in the workplace:
• All team members potentially affected by that notification will be provided with appropriate information and
directions based on the guidance of the local health authority.
• In all cases, the City will comply with all privacy laws and will provide information to the best of its ability, in
compliance with the directions of the local health authority.

Situations:
• If you are sick – stay home
• If you have a cold, flu or gastrointestinal symptoms: Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever
(>100°F or 37.8°C) or liquid/droplet symptoms are gone.
• If you become sick at work:
• Separate yourself from other workers.
• Put on a mask.
• Inform your supervisor and go home.
Reducing the Risk – Control Measures
Mask Use
• Non-Medical Masks help minimize the spread of potentially infectious material from the infected wearer to
other people.
• Fit-tested N95 masks prevent infectious material from entering an employee’s breathing zone. First-Aid
attendants, first responders or employees working in close contact of others should wear one.
• Masks are to be worn at a minimum according to recommendation/ guidelines from:
• Provincial Health Officer;
• WorkSafeBC;
• Human Resources -Occupational Health & Safety Section.
Reducing the Risk – Control Measures
Cleaning and Disinfection
• Routine cleaning and disinfection is of great importance in providing a health and safe workplace. Cleaning and
disinfecting surfaces can also reduce the risk of infection.
• Communicable disease safety measures that need to be in place include:
• Cleaning and disinfection of highly touched surfaces.
• Frequent handwashing.
• Providing hand hygiene options for patrons, contractors and visitors.
• If there has been a sick person in your facility within the last 24 hours, you should clean and disinfect the space.

Building Ventilation
• Basic principles of good indoor air quality include supplying outdoor air to replenish indoor air; this removes
and dilutes contaminants that naturally accumulate in indoor settings, especially in well-sealed buildings.
• Civic Facilities maintains all our buildings HVAC systems and the systems are on a preventative maintenance
schedule.
Vaccination
• The City of Surrey recognizes the public health
benefits of vaccination programs to reduce illness,
disability and death from community acquired
diseases.
Reasons to get vaccinated:
1. Vaccine preventable diseases have not gone
away
The viruses and bacteria that cause illness and death still exist and can be
passed on to those who are not protected by vaccines.
2. Vaccines will help keep you healthy

• Employees are encouraged to participate in Public 3. Vaccines are as important to your overall health
as diet and exercise
Health vaccination programs or the City’s annual
Flu vaccination clinics. 4. Vaccination can mean the difference between
life and death
5. Vaccines are safe
6. Vaccines will not cause the diseases they are
designed to prevent
7. Young and healthy people can get very sick too
8. Vaccine preventable diseases are expensive
9. When you get sick, your children, grandchildren
and parents may be at risk too
10. Your family and co-workers need you
 Communicable Disease Incident Procedure

Employees Supervisors Confidentiality

Employees:
Any City of Surrey employee who believes they have a communicable disease should:

• Seek medical attention and get tested if necessary even if they have been vaccinated.
• Daily self-screening for symptoms prior to leaving home : Stay home when sick and avoid close contact with others to the extent possible.
• Do not return to work until advised to do so by a health care professional or, in the absence of medical consultation, do not return to work for the duration of the illness and 24-hours
after symptoms disappear;
• Notify your supervisor; and
• Record your time away from work as sick leave.
• To limit the spread of communicable disease, avoid traveling when sick, unless otherwise deemed appropriate by a health care professional.
• Follow health care providers treatment plan.
• Cooperate with Public Health.
• Cooperate with Occupational Health & Safety for work related contact tracing. (Note: employee’s name is not shared with others.)

Note: for those employees who are able to work at home while they are recovering from their illness/symptoms, please refer to CityNet for information on setting up your home workstation,
ergonomics tips and other resources.
 Communicable Disease Incident Procedure

Employees Supervisors Confidentiality

Supervisors:
• Support staff members who have symptoms of a communicable disease (e.g., fever or chills, coughing, diarrhea) so they can avoid being at the workplace when sick.
• When an employee exhibits communicable disease symptoms or is diagnosed with a communicable disease, the Manager/ Supervisor must not release the employee’s name,
identifying information, or condition to other employees. All employee healthcare concerns must be forwarded to Human Resources.
• Supervisors will arrange to have work areas cleaned and sanitized.

Confidentiality:
• All employee medical information is treated as private and confidential and will be handled in compliance with legal requirements.
On the CityNet OHS COVID-19
page, you can find resources
such as Programs, Checklists,
Education and Training and
more.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE