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New Monkeypox Workplace Safety Training Zeros in on Protection and Prevention

By Intertek Alchemy   |   

It’s been three months since the first reports of Monkeypox in the U.S. Since then, the virus has struck more than 18,000 people, and the first related death was reported in Texas this month.

This new health crisis comes after two years of efforts to protect employees from COVID-19. And while Monkeypox isn’t as deadly as COVID-19, it is contagious and can cause serious illnesses that will keep employees away from work for several days.

U.S. employers concerned about their employees’ health, safety, and welfare are assessing what steps they should take to prevent the virus from entering their workplaces.

That’s why Intertek Alchemy expedited developing and distributing a new safety training program that helps mitigate the risk of infection from Monkeypox. This new program, Monkeypox: Overview, trains workers to identify and protect themselves from this disease. This course comes when manufacturers are once again implementing processes to address absenteeism and keep their employees safe.

The 10-minute course for frontline workers and managers eliminates misperceptions about the virus, covering how it spreads, its incubation period, and how to identify early symptoms. The course also provides essential prevention measures to use in and outside the workplace.

Participants will learn that Monkeypox is a contagious disease that doesn’t show symptoms for days and is often transmitted through close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact. The course also teaches employees and managers that:

  • While still infectious, Monkeypox doesn’t spread as easily as the flu or COVID-19.
  • More than 99% of people who contract the virus survive.
  • People who might experience more severe symptoms include children under eight and those with weakened immune systems or a history of eczema. Women who are breastfeeding might be more vulnerable.
  • It can take four days to three weeks before symptoms become noticeable.

Know the Signs
The most well-known symptom of Monkeypox is the presence of skin sores or rashes. However, it can be detected early.

This course helps participants learn that the virus starts with a general feeling of being sick or more tired than usual, followed by flu-like symptoms that can include a fever, chills, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes.

They might also experience headaches or respiratory symptoms like a sore throat, congestion, and a cough. Blisters or sores will develop within days of these symptoms. From this point, Monkeypox can spread through close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact, and the infected person remains contagious until their rash heals and a new layer of skin forms.

Monkeypox has a long incubation period. This means it can take up to three weeks before symptoms appear.

Practice Prevention
The Intertek Alchemy Monkeypox: Overview provides employees and managers with common sense prevention measures like washing hands before eating and after going to the restroom, not sharing eating utensils or cups with other workers, and avoiding close contact with anyone suspected of having the virus. Participants are encouraged not to come to work if they feel ill or have any symptoms associated with Monkeypox.

How to Get the Course
The Monkeypox: Overview course is available at no cost to all Intertek Alchemy customers via group-based training or eLearning. The course is also available over Zosi Learning. 

For more information, please contact us to arrange a training session.

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