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Nov 07, 2024

EPA updates ventilation guidance to curb the spread of respiratory viruses | Safety+Health

Washington — Employers can help prevent the spread of common respiratory viruses indoors by ensuring proper workplace ventilation and limiting the use of small, shared spaces, the Environmental

Washington — Employers can help prevent the spread of common respiratory viruses indoors by ensuring proper workplace ventilation and limiting the use of small, shared spaces, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

Updated guidance from EPA states that respiratory viruses can spread more easily indoors because of people’s proximity to one another as well as the possible buildup of “viral concentration.” Through recommendations intended for workplaces, schools and homes, the agency outlines multiple strategies to help control the spread via a multilayered approach.

They include:

In a press release, Joseph Goffman, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, calls the guidance “a valuable tool in protecting against the spread of common airborne respiratory viruses indoors, where we spend about 90% of our time.”

He added: “In addition to immunizations, handwashing and other key preventive measures, taking action to promote healthier indoor air helps to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses indoors.”

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