Federal Health Workers Lacked PPE While Assisting Coronavirus Patients

Cleaning professionals understand the importance of infection control training and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while in the presence of contagious pathogens and people who are ill due to these viruses and bacteria. This is a lesson that needs constant reminders, as evidenced by news that dozens of health workers from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allegedly assisted coronavirus patients without first undergoing proper training and without wearing PPE, Forbes reports.

The allegation was made by a senior HHS official in Washington D.C., who alerted senior health officials, including HHS Secretary Alex Azar, to concerns about staff safety. The workers in question are members of the Administration for Children and Families, a unit within HHS that usually deals with people recovering from natural disasters. They were sent to military bases in California to help recent evacuees from China. The workers have not shown any symptoms of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which caused the illness COVID-19, and have not been tested for it.

HHS Spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said in a statement that it takes “all whistleblower complaints very seriously and are providing the complainant all appropriate protections under the Whistleblower Protection Act. We are evaluating the complaint and have nothing further to add at this time.”

Patty Olinger, Exec. Director the Global BioRisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, said the situation with the HHS workers shows the importance of completing a risk assessment on a site before having workers do their jobs.

“Ensure that your current protocols fit the situation.  Then once confirmed, the protocol and expectations must be communicated and followed,” Olinger said. “This is a fundamental part of GBAC training and protocols.”
 
Make sure your workers aren’t exposed to infections as they clean and maintain facilities. Learn how the proper training can protect them from COVID-19 and other contagious diseases, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).