Bird Flu Workplace Safety and Health

This information was last updated on February 21, 2025

The current multistate outbreak of Avian influenza, or bird flu, is caused by the HPAI A(H5N1) subtype of flu virus and commonly infects wild and domestic birds. The virus is also spreading in other animals, including farm animals like poultry and dairy cows.

Bird flu can infect people and, while it's rare, some workers are at higher risk. People can become infected with bird flu when they come into contact with infected animals or their byproducts, or if they eat, drink, or inhale droplets or dust containing the virus. More information is available on our Avian Flu (Bird Flu) Fact Sheet.

Find more information below, including what employers must do to protect workers from bird flu.

Requirements & Policies

Hazard assessment

All employers must identify hazards or potential hazards at their workplace. This includes identifying if Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is necessary to prevent employees from being infected with bird flu. Employers with airborne exposure to bird flu must also perform a respiratory exposure evaluation. Employers must follow all other DOSH requirements to ensure their workplaces are safe and free of recognized hazards, including bird flu.

Engineering and administrative controls

When employees have potential exposure to bird flu, employers must evaluate and use engineering and administrative controls. Some examples are:

  • Use ventilation systems that provide a constant supply of fresh air;
  • Ensure high velocity airflow onto building occupants does not happen; and
  • Clean and maintain ventilation systems on a regular basis.
  • Ensure workers have access to and use handwashing facilities;
  • Communicate with workers to determine if they are sick or have symptoms like conjunctivitis, upper respiratory symptoms, or other symptoms consistent with the flu; and
  • Follow state/local health department instructions for quarantine or isolation of exposed or sick workers.

Additional exposure control information can be found in the Prevention section.

Respirator use requirements

Conditions where employers must require employees to wear a NIOSH-approved respirator and implement a complete respiratory protection program:

Contact with alive or dead animals confirmed or potentially infected with H5N1 Bird Flu, such as:
  • poultry culling operations,
  • work in sick pens,
  • or work with sick animals in zoos or other wild animal facilities​
 Contact with :
  • raw milk,
  • other secretions (such as saliva and urine)
  • udders, or
  • viscera (such as organs and intestines) from a farm with confirmed or potentially infected animals
    • Such as:
  • working in a milking parlor,
  • raw milk processing,
  • some slaughterhouse work​
    		•

    Before using respirators employers must have and follow a written Respiratory Protection Program including requirements for selection, medical evaluations, fit-testing, training, maintenance and storage of respirators. 

    See:

    Additional PPE requirements

    Use the PPE hazard assessment to determine when employees must wear PPE such as the following:

    • NIOSH-approved particulate respirator according to the Respirator Use Requirements section above.
    • Unvented or indirectly vented safety goggles;
      • Consider using a face shield over the top of goggles and respirator to protect against large amount of liquid splashing onto the filtering facepiece respirator.
    • Disposable exam weight gloves;
      • Consider using outer work gloves to protect the disposable gloves.
    • Boots or boot covers;
    • Disposable head cover or hair cover; and
    • Disposable fluid-resistant coveralls
      • Consider using a waterproof apron to prevent cross contamination during PPE removal.

    Employers may use The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Interim Guidance for Employers to Reduce Exposure to Novel Influenza A to meet non-respirator PPE requirements.

    PPE Training

    Employers must also provide PPE training for workers to ensure they know:

    • When and how to use PPE;
    • How to properly put on, and remove PPE in a separate clean area;
    • How to properly discard disposable PPE;
    • How to maintain and disinfect re-usable PPE, like elastomeric respirators; and
    • The limitations of PPE.

    Other L&I Rules

    Standards and Guidance from others

    Get help with meeting requirements

    L&I’s Consultation Program offers free, confidential, professional advice to help employers meet these safety and health requirements.

    Reporting & Recording

    Employers must report and record workplace related bird flu according to Chapter 296-27 WAC – Recordkeeping and Reporting. Bird flu does not fall under the exclusion for “common cold and flu” in WAC 296-27-01103 (2)(h). See L&I’s Workplace Injuries & Fatalities web page for more information.

    Other reporting

    • Cases, suspected cases, or exposure in people report to the local health jurisdiction.
    • Sick or dead birds in domestic birds report to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Avian Health program: 1-800-606-3056.
    • Increased death or disease in livestock on farms to the State Veterinarian on the Reportable Animal Disease Database and select “unexplained increase in dead or diseased animals.”
    Prevention

    Health care workers should follow CDC’s transmission-based precautions and guidance for bird flu.

    Employers can determine the exposure controls to implement by the specific work task, setting, and exposure such as:

    • Including bird flu exposure hazards in their Accident Prevention Plan (APP).
    • Avoiding unprotected contact with animals or people with known or suspected bird flu when possible.
    • Maintaining distance from items with known or suspected to have contamination with bird flu.
    • Using tools (such as tongs) to avoid direct contact and maintain distance from substances known or suspected to be contaminated with bird flu.
    • Using processes to avoid stirring up waste and other potentially contaminated dirt or dust. This can cause aerosolization, creating particles small and light enough to be carried on the air. If this is unavoidable, implement additional precautions, such as enhanced ventilation (like local exhaust ventilation and no recirculation of the air) and the use of respirators.
    • Ensuring optimal ventilation (for example stay up wind from the hazard, ventilate with as much fresh air as possible with no recirculation of the air).
    • Ensuring adequate access to hand washing facilities. Use alcohol based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable and hands are not visibly dirty. Wash hands with soap and water:
      • After contact with animals or people with known or suspected bird flu;
      • After contact with substances or objects known or suspected to be contaminated with bird flu;
      • When leaving a potentially contaminated area;
      • After removing gloves and other PPE; and
      • Before touching your face (especially eyes, nose, or mouth), eating, drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco, taking medication or applying cosmetics.
    • Cleaning surfaces and disinfect using an EPA registered product effective against bird flu. Protect workers from chemical hazards from these products by implementing appropriate safety precautions.
    • Ensuring employees have been educated and trained in a language and manner that they understand on the bird flu hazards in the workplace and policies and procedures to prevent transmission.
    • Following Department of Health (DOH) recommendations for symptom monitoring and testing.
    Training & Resources

    Meeting Workplace Safety & Health Requirements

    Employers can use these materials to meet specific requirements in L&I Safety & Health rules. Employers can use other materials as well.

    Training & Resources

    Publications, Handouts, Checklists

    Sample Programs

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