MSU Providing Green Industry-Specific Training Videos on Airborne Disease Prevention
The floriculture team at Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), working with the National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC), has developed employee training videos for the prevention of airborne disease transmission at greenhouses and garden centers. The videos, funded by the Western Michigan Greenhouse Association (WMGA), can help green industry employers fulfill the need for COVID-19 training requirements as required by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and keep their workforce prepared in the event of a future widespread airborne disease outbreak.
Topics covered by the videos include:
- How airborne diseases spread, risks for workplace expose, and how workers can protect themselves.
- Proper handwashing practices and use of hand sanitizer stations.
- Farm-specific social distancing practices.
- Cough and sneeze etiquette.
- Other routine infection control precautions: social distancing measures and putting on/taking off masks and gloves.
- Steps to take if workers get sick.
- Employer policies regarding COVID-19.
- How to report unsafe working conditions.
- Working with retail customers who do not follow safety protocols.
The videos highlight the necessity for the green industry to be prepared for disease outbreaks by having an established plan and being ready to implement it should there be a threat of widespread public disease outbreaks. They also demonstrate to regulators and public decision-makers that the green industry is fully capable of maintaining business operations while preventing/minimizing the spread of an infectious disease among their workers.
Although presented in the context of the Michigan green industry, the videos were specifically designed for use in greenhouses and garden centers across the U.S. The subject matter is general enough to be used for the prevention of a wide range of airborne diseases, ensuring the videos will remain relevant worker training tools for years to come.
Learn more here.
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