As we move further into fall, flu season is at it’s peak in Ontario, which officially begins in October goes right the way through to April. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care defines flu or influenza as a serious disease that affects millions of Canadians every year.
Flu has a number of symptoms and can be mistaken for a common cold, ranging from mild to severe, with the most common symptoms being: a fever, sore throat, runny nose, headache, muscle pains, coughing and feeling tired.
Flu Season Health & Safety Rights
As a worker based in Ontario, you always have the right to work in both a safe and a healthy environment. The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) grants you certain fundamental rights including:
The right to know about potential hazards you may be exposed to in your work environment
The right to be involved in the identification and resolution of workplace health and safety concerns
The right to refuse unsafe work (Certain occupations, such as police, health care workers, fire fighters – have a limited right to refuse work where the work is part of the normal job or the refusal endangers another person).
Any workers who are involved in the cleaning of the workplace need to be trained appropriately in the use of cleaning products and chemicals. If you believe your workplace is unsafe because of the influenza virus, express your concerns to a manager or health and safety representative.
If you have concerns about one of your coworkers having flu, talk to your manager or health and safety representative, as they could be endangering other members of staff and spreading the virus.
Flu Prevention
For more information about Flu prevention, here is a Red Cross webpage that provides some basic tips. http://www.redcross.ca/training-and-certification/first-aid-tips-and-resources/first-aid-tips/flu-prevention
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