Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) recognizes the need to establish procedures for implementing infection control policies and procedures to help limit the spread of infectious diseases at its locations and comply with all federal and state laws applicable to students and employees. This regulation is designed to address those illnesses or diseases that are identified as being more serious in nature than the common cold or flu.

1. Background
   Infectious diseases are transmitted from person to person by various routes. A basic understanding of how these diseases are transmitted and common prevention measures can help decrease the spread of infections. Early identification of signs and symptoms of infectious disease is paramount to increasing the health of the workforce and decreasing absenteeism. Control measures may include, but are not limited to, education, health appraisals, environmental control, sanitation and immunizations. All employees need to maintain strict adherence to body fluid exposure precautions. Report all body fluid contacts with broken skin/mucus membranes or through puncture wounds (such as human bites and needle stick injuries) to the safety office by filling out the Incident Injury report form on the human resources area on the Intranet. Daily decontamination of surfaces exposed to body fluids should be carried out consistently.
2. Decision Factors
   
   1. MHCC will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), which requires that federal protection in employment be granted to employees and students who are infected with an infectious disease. Retaliation against an infected employee is prohibited. The College’s decisions involving persons who have infectious diseases will be based on current, well-informed medical judgments according to federal and state laws. The well-informed medical judgments will be made by licensed health care providers. MHCC is committed to maintaining a safe work environment for employees and students. All medical information concerning employees infected with an infectious disease or its related conditions will be treated confidentially as required by law in the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
   2. The employee must be able to perform normal job duties and meet regular performance standards. In the judgment of the College, the employee’s continued presence must pose no risk to the health of the employee, other employees, students and the public.
   3. The College reserves the right to ask employees who show signs and symptoms of a communicable illness to seek medical evaluation and provide a written medical release prior to returning to work, when appropriate. The College will work with the employee to determine if any accommodations need to be made or precautions taken to protect employees, students and the public. The College may periodically consult a licensed health care provider to evaluate the employee’s health or the health risk to others.
3. Exclusions
   The College reserves the right to exclude a person with an infectious disease from the workplace facilities, programs and functions if the College finds that, based on a medical determination from the employee’s health care provider or public health authorities, such a restriction is necessary for the health of the infected person and/or the health and safety of others within the workplace.
4. Infectious Disease Control Measures- Guidelines for Exclusion

   Employees should stay home from work if	Employee may return to work when
   Fever greater than 100.5	Temperature below 100 degrees (orally) for a minimum of 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication
   Vomiting	Symptom-free for 24 hours
   Stiff neck or headache with fever	Symptom-free or written consent from doctor
   ANY rash with or without fever	Rash disappears. Written from doctor
   Unusual behavior change such as irritability, lethargy, or somnolence	Symptom-free or written consent from doctor
   Jaundice (yellow color of skin or eye whites)	Written consent from doctor
   Diarrhea (3 watery or loose stools in 1 day with or without fever)	Symptom-free for 24 hours
   Skin lesions that are “weepy” (fluid or pus—filled)	Discharge must be gone or written consent from doctor
   Colored drainage from eyes	Discharge must be gone or written consent from doctor
   Brown/green drainage from nose with fever of greater than 100.5F	Discharge must be gone or written consent from doctor
   Cough: deep, barking, congested, or produces colored mucus	Symptom-free or employee must have been on antibiotics for 24 hours and have a written consent from the doctor.
   Strep throat diagnosed by health care provider	Must have been on antibiotics for 24 hours and have written consent from doctor.
   White, clay-colored, or bloody stool	Written consent from the doctor
   Brown urine	Written consent from the doctor
   After an illness of 2 or more weeks or surgery	Written instructions from the doctor

   Only a licensed health care provider can determine a diagnosis and/or prescribe treatment and provide instructions regarding the employees’ return to work. The local county health department should always be consulted regarding any written communication that may be developed to notify staff about disease outbreaks, risks to employees and/or control measures specific to the outbreak.
5. Reentry
   If the employee is absent more than five consecutive days of work, he/she must provide a release from a licensed health care provider which verifies that the employee is not at risk of transmitting the designated disease to others. If an employee disputes the College’s determination that such a risk exists, the employee must submit a statement from his or her attending health care provider that the employee’s continued employment poses no significant risk to the employee, other employees, students or the public.
6. Leave of Absence
   Employees are encouraged to use accrued sick, vacation, business emergency and comp time to cover absences due to infectious diseases. Employees may also request an unpaid leave of absence.
7. Telecommuting
   Managers will determine which, if any, employees may work from home. Employees who telecommute must ensure protection of the College’s property, employee and student data and other confidential materials.
8. Medical and Disability Leaves: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA), Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), Long Term Disability (LTD) Employees who are ill and qualify under other applicable laws, policies and programs, such as FMLA, OFLA, ADAAA, Workers Compensation, LTD, etc. will also be guided by corresponding Board policy, administrative regulation and employee handbooks.
9. Privacy The College will comply with all applicable statutes and regulations that protect the privacy of persons who have an infectious disease. Every effort will be made to ensure procedurally sufficient safeguards to maintain the personal confidence about persons who have infectious diseases. The College recognizes that an employee’s medical condition is confidential information and will treat it as such unless otherwise provided by law.
10. Rights of Employees
    1. Employees with an infectious disease will be allowed to work as long as they can maintain acceptable performance and do not pose a health threat to themselves or others. Employees who have serious illnesses have rights under a number of laws. These rights include:
    1. Non-discrimination on the basis of an illness or disease, which is protected by law (including life threatening illnesses/diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Tuberculosis (TB), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), cancer, etc.)
    2. The condition may be considered a disability and, therefore, covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and/or any state disability law, and may require compliance, including reasonable accommodation.
    3. Confidentiality about medical, disability or related information.
    2. Additionally, under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) general duty clause, the employer must provide a safe environment for employees. This means that employees, who are well, have the right to not be exposed to an unsafe working condition, which could include an employee with an infectious disease. If an employee refuses to work because they are concerned about a co-worker’s illness, the College will need to evaluate the situation on a case-by-case basis. Employees who refuse to work with an employee with a non-infectious disease, who does not pose a threat to others, may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with procedures and guidelines established for employee behavior and performance.
11. College Closures
12. Pay for College closures due to infectious disease outbreaks are outlined in applicable contract bargaining agreements and employee handbooks as follows:
    • Classified: Article 12.E
    • Full-Time faculty- Article 9.K
    • Part-time faculty and Tutors- Article 8.H