Communicable Diseases. Upon recommendation of the Medical Officer of Health, all employees shall be required, on an annual basis to be vaccinated and or to take antiviral medication for influenza. If the costs of such medication are not covered by some other sources, the Employer will pay the cost for such medication. If the employee fails to take the required medication, she may be placed on an unpaid leave of absence during any influenza outbreak in the home until such time as the employee has been cleared by the public health or the employer to return to the work environment. The only exception to this would be employees for whom taking the medication will result in the employee being physically ill to the extent that she cannot attend work. Upon written direction from the employee’s physician of such medical condition in consultation with the Employer’s physician, (if requested), the employee will be permitted to access their sick bank, if any, during any outbreak period. If there is a dispute between the physicians, the employee will be placed on unpaid leave. If the employee gets sick as a reaction to the drug and applies for WSIB the Employer will not oppose the application. If an employee is pregnant and her physician believes the pregnancy could be in jeopardy as a result of the influenza inoculation and/or the antiviral medication she shall be eligible for sick leave in circumstances where she is not allowed to attend at work as a result of an outbreak.
Communicable Diseases. (a) The Parties to this Agreement share a desire to prevent acquisition and transmission where employees may come into contact with a person and/or possessions of a person with a communicable disease.
(b) Where the Employer is aware of a client with a communicable disease, the Employer shall inform the primary care givers about the inherent risk of the communicable disease.
(c) Where a vaccination is, or may become available as a preventative measure, such vaccination shall be made available to all employees who may be at risk of contracting the disease, at no cost to the employee.
Communicable Diseases. The Employer agrees to take all necessary safety precautions to deal with the threat of communicable disease, including adequate education of employees concerning the disease, provision and training on proper use of Personal Protective Equipment if appropriate and the provision of any available precautionary treatments. As per the Workers’ Compensation Act the Employer will keep written records of all employees exposed to infectious diseases.
Communicable Diseases.
(a) The parties to this agreement share a desire to prevent acquisition and transmission of communicable disease where employees may come into contact with a person and/or possessions of a person with a communicable disease.
(b) In respect of communicable diseases, the Provincial Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee will consider, review and make recommendations to the Principals on issues including:
(1) preventative protocol measures, including education, hygiene, protective equipment/apparel and vaccinations;
(2) post-exposure protocols;
(3) measures necessary for the establishment of a work environment with minimal risk to exposure to or infection by communicable diseases.
(c) Officials of the BC Centre for Disease Control will be utilized for the purpose of accessing expertise in this area. Other consultants may be utilized, as deemed appropriate by the Committee.
(d) Where a communicable disease policy is established the Local Occupational Health and Safety Committee or union designated safety representative shall be consulted regarding the worksite specific application of the policy.
(e) Where officials of the BC Centre for Disease Control recommend that a vaccination is required as a preventative measure, such vaccination shall be made available to the employee at the Employer's expense.
Communicable Diseases. In-service training will be provided for all employees with regards to Infection Protection and Control (IP&C) Guidelines as mandated by Ministry of Health. In-service training may include definitions of commonly encountered infectious processes in long term care, as well as precautions (standards, contact, airborne, blood borne) to be observed, personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning, and handling procedures concerning resident care, resident environment and resident belongings and articles of use.
Communicable Diseases. Employees will be provided with information on all communicable diseases to which they may have routine workplace exposure. Training by a certified entity shall be provided, at least once a year, to educate employees in the area of recognition and prevention of such diseases and blood borne pathogens. The training shall be based on the standards established by OSHA.
Communicable Diseases. Employees will be provided with information on all communicable diseases to which they may have routine workplace exposure. Training provided to employees will include the symptoms of the diseases, modes of transmission, methods of self-protection, proper workplace procedures, special precautions, recommendations for immunization and any relevant regulations, guidelines and CDC recommended precautions. Employees who have any contact with blood and other body fluids will be offered Hepatitis B vaccinations and follow up testing and vaccination at the Employer's expense. Any screening of incoming clients, residents or inmates in health care facilities or residential or correctional institutions for communicable diseases will be performed according to relevant Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. If a resident or inmate is found to carry a communicable disease, all appropriate precautions will be taken. The Employer will comply with the latest CDC guidelines on post exposure treatment whenever an employee receives an exposure, while on duty, to potentially infectious blood borne or otherwise transmittable diseases, except for cases of employee misconduct or gross negligence. Employer arranged testing associated with such diseases will be paid by the Employer and will be done on work time.
Communicable Diseases. (a) The Employer and the Union share a desire to prevent the acquisition and transmission of communicable diseases in the workplace such as: HIV, TB and Hepatitis.
(b) The Health and Safety Committee will consider, review and make recommendations on issues such as, but not limited to; education, protective equipment and protocols.
Communicable Diseases. Upon written request, an employee shall be provided with information on all communicable diseases to which he/she may have routine workplace exposure. Information provided to employees shall include the symptoms of the diseases, modes of transmission, methods of self-protection, proper workplace procedures, special precautions and recommendations for immunization where appropriate. The communicable disease policy and any subsequent revisions will be disseminated to the Agency Health and Safety Committee(s). The Employer recognizes that some employees who work with individuals infected with hepatitis B virus may be at increased risk of acquiring hepatitis B infection. In accordance with the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, hepatitis B vaccinations shall be made available to all employees who have high risk occupational exposure to the virus. Low risk employees will have vaccinations made available post exposure, within the timelines required under federal regulations, i.e., if exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Post exposure evaluation and follow-up consultations will be made available for all employees who experience an exposure incident. “Occupational exposure” shall have the same meaning in this Agreement as is contained in the OSHA guidelines. Hepatitis B vaccinations shall be offered within ten (10) working days of initial assignment to employees who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Employees who decline the initial vaccination may, at a later date, request and obtain the vaccination from the Employer. All hepatitis B vaccinations and related medical procedures pertaining to its administration are to be made available at no cost to the employee. Mandatory tuberculosis screening may be conducted annually for all employees in Agencies with higher incidence of risk. Based on the risk assessment, some employees or work areas may need to be tested more often than annually. Such additional testing will be based upon Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. The Employer will hold the employee harmless from any costs incurred as a result of additional tests or x-rays incurred as a result of an initial positive reaction. If a resident or inmate is found to carry a communicable disease, all appropriate precautions shall be taken.
Communicable Diseases. The Parties to this Agreement share a desire to prevent acquisition and transmission where employees may come into contact with a person and/or possessions of a person with a communicable disease. Accordingly, the Parties agree that this issue will be addressed by the Joint Labour/Management Committee to make recommendations to the Bargaining Principals.
