A Q&A on Preventing a Deadly Infection in Your Workplace

While staph infections, including MRSA, most often occur in people who are frequently in hospitals or healthcare facilities, and who have weakened immune systems, they are increasingly found in the community and workplace in otherwise healthy people.

Below are some questions and answers from Mission and the Centers for Disease Control to share with your employees regarding MRSA in the workplace.

What is MRSA?

Staphylococcus aureus,often referred to simply as "staph," is a type of bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Sometimes, staph can cause an infection. Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these skin infections are minor (such as pustules and boils) and can be treated without antibiotics. However, staph bacteria can also cause serious infections (such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, refers to types of staph that are resistant to methicillin, a type of antibiotic. MRSA is often resistant to other antibiotics as well. While 25-30% of the population carries staph bacteria, approximately only 1% has staph that is colonized with MRSA.

How can I prevent MRSA in my workplace?

"The most important measure you can do to protect yourself, your family and your employees from MRSA is to keep all wounds clean, dry and covered, and wash hands frequently," says Dr. James Whitehouse, MD, MHS, and Chair of Mission's Infection Prevention Committee.

Can I get MRSA from someone at work?

MRSA is transmitted most frequently by direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else's infection (e.g., towels, used bandages).

MRSA skin infections can occur anywhere. However, some settings have factors that make it easier for MRSA to be transmitted. These factors, referred to as the 5 C's, are as follows:

1. Crowding
2. Frequent skin-to-skin contact
3. Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions)
4. Contaminated items and surfaces
5. Lack of cleanliness

Locations where the 5 C's are common include schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers.

If I have MRSA, can I go to work?

Unless directed by a healthcare provider, workers with MRSA infections should not be routinely excluded from going to work.

• Exclusion from work should be reserved for those with wound drainage ("pus") that cannot be covered and contained with a clean, dry bandage and for those who cannot maintain good hygiene practices.
• Workers with active infections should be excluded from activities where skin-to-skin contact with the affected skin area is likely to occur until their infections are healed.

What should I do if I think I have a staph or MRSA infection?

See your healthcare provider and follow your healthcare provider's advice about returning to work.

If I have staph, or a MRSA skin infection, what can I do to prevent the spread of MRSA at work and at home?

You can prevent spreading staph or MRSA skin infections to others by following these steps:

• Cover your wound. Keep areas of the skin affected by MRSA covered. Keep wounds that are draining or have pus covered with clean, dry bandages. Follow your healthcare provider's instructions on proper care of the wound. Pus from infected wounds can contain staph and MRSA, so keeping the infection covered will help prevent the spread to others. Bandages or tape can be discarded with the regular trash.
• Clean your hands. You, your family, and others in close contact should wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after changing the bandage or touching the infected wound.
• Do not share personal items. Avoid sharing personal items such as uniforms, personal protective equipment, clothing, towels, washcloths or razors that may have had contact with the infected wound or bandage.
• Talk to your doctor. Tell any healthcare providers who treat you that you have or had a staph or MRSA skin infection.

What should I do if I suspect that my uniform, clothing, personal protective equipment or workstation has become contaminated with MRSA?

• Wash uniforms, clothing, sheets and towels that become soiled with water and laundry detergent. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes. Use a dryer to dry clothes completely.
• Cleaning contaminated equipment and surfaces with detergent-based cleaners or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants is effective at removing MRSA from the environment. Because cleaners and disinfectants can be irritating and exposure has been associated with health problems such as asthma, it is important to read the instruction labels on all cleaners to make sure they are used safely and appropriately. Where disinfection is concerned, more is not necessarily better. Additional information on appropriate use of cleaners and disinfectants can be found in the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) 10 Step Guide to Green Cleaning Implementation.
• Environmental cleaners and disinfectants should not be used to treat infections. The EPA provides a list of EPA-registered products effective against MRSA.

What can I as an employer do to prevent the spread of staph or MRSA at the workplace?

• Place importance on worker safety and health protection in the workplace.
• Ensure the availability of adequate facilities and supplies that encourage workers to practice good hygiene.
• Ensure that routine housekeeping in the workplace is followed.
• Ensure that contaminated equipment and surfaces are cleaned with detergent-based cleaners or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectants.