Coronavirus Safety Knowledge

A face mask (source control) is primarily about reducing the amount of respiratory particles you release into shared air—its biggest value is consistency and fit over the nose and mouth. A respirator (such as a NIOSH-approved N95) is designed to reduce what you inhale and only works as intended with correct donning and a good face seal; facial hair, gaps, and frequent touching can negate the benefit.

If the job requires employees to wear respirators, OSHA’s respiratory protection requirements apply (including medical evaluation, fit testing, training, and proper maintenance). If an employee wears a respirator voluntarily (not required by the employer), responsibilities are more limited—but the respirator still must be used safely and in a way that doesn’t create new hazards (for example, breathing difficulty or contamination from poor handling).

The quiz focuses on decisions that change exposure in real rooms: increasing outdoor air when feasible, ensuring HVAC systems are operating as intended, upgrading or maintaining filtration where compatible, and using correctly sized portable HEPA units in occupied spaces. It also targets administrative choices that interact with air quality—shorter indoor meetings, fewer people in small rooms, and moving unmasked activities (like eating) to better-ventilated areas. For broader incident planning around outbreaks and staffing impacts, pair this topic with the Workplace Emergency Preparedness Quiz.

Cleaning (soap/detergent plus friction) removes dirt and many germs; it’s often the correct first step, especially when surfaces are visibly soiled. Disinfection uses an EPA-registered product to kill germs on hard, nonporous surfaces when indicated by policy or risk. The most common error is ignoring wet contact time: many disinfectants require the surface to remain visibly wet for a specific number of minutes—wiping dry too soon can make the process ineffective.

Follow your employer policy and current public health guidance: report symptoms promptly, stay away from others while you are ill, and avoid returning until symptoms are improving and fever has resolved without fever-reducing medication. When returning, apply added precautions for several days (for example, improved ventilation, masking in shared indoor air, distancing where feasible, and avoiding high-risk contact with vulnerable individuals). If your worksite uses screening testing, understand that an early negative test does not guarantee you are not infectious—timing and repeat testing matter.

OSHA-aligned practice looks like controlling a recognized hazard using the hierarchy of controls: fix airflow problems where possible, reduce crowding/time in enclosed spaces, use appropriate PPE correctly, and train people to report hazards and symptoms without retaliation. Documentation matters too—consistent policies, training records, maintenance logs for ventilation/filters, and clear procedures for exposure response reduce confusion during an OSHA complaint, inspection, or internal investigation. If you support on-scene response roles (medical, security, facilities), the Emergency Quiz helps reinforce coordinated incident actions.