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  3. Policy and Procedure for Reporting and Managing Infectious Disease

Policy and Procedure for Reporting and Managing Infectious Disease

The University is committed to providing a safe working and learning environment for its faculty, staff and students. Accordingly, the University has developed the following procedures to address concerns about infectious diseases.

For the purposes of this procedure, an infectious disease is a communicable disease as defined in the Health Promotion and Protection Act. A list of communicable diseases is available at .

Although the list of diseases is extensive, this policy is designed for the purpose of addressing those diseases that pose a threat to the university community due to rapid transmission of infection to, and/or among, employees and students. Examples of such infectious diseases include, but are not limited to Anthrax, Hepatitis, Meningitis, Measles, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Tuberculosis (TB). 

 

INTERNAL PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING CONCERNS REGARDING INFECTIOUS DISEASES

  1. Any faculty, staff or student who is concerned for their personal health because of an infectious disease, or is aware that a visitor, student, faculty or staff at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ has an infectious disease as defined in the Health Promotion and Protection Act, should report their concern to his or her supervisor, department head or any other person in authority. The person in authority shall report, in confidence, the concern to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety. 

  2. If the Director of Environmental Health & Safety, in consultation with the Director of Health, Counselling and Disability Services, is of the opinion that someone in the University community may have an infectious disease, the situation will be reported to the Medical Officer of Health. 

  3. The Medical Officer of Health has the responsibility to protect the health of the public and has corresponding powers under the Health Promotion and Protection Act for dealing with infectious diseases. The Medical Officer of Health will act if there are reasonable and probable grounds to believe that an infectious disease exists or that there is an immediate risk of an outbreak of an infectious disease in the area for which he or she has responsibility.

 

INTERNAL PROCEDURES TO COMPLY WITH REQUESTS OR ORDERS OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH

  1. If the Medical Officer of Health decides that action must be taken following a report that an infectious disease may exist at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, the University will follow any requests or orders of the Medical Officer of Health. The Director of Environmental Health & Safety, in conjunction with the Director of Health Counselling and Disability Services and that department's working plan of action for reportable contagious disease, will establish an advisory committee to ensure the university complies with the requests or orders from the Medical Officer of Health. The membership of this committee will include representatives from Residences and the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, if students are involved. If faculty, staff or visitors are involved, the committee membership may include an immediate supervisor, department head, Dean, Vice-Principal, Human Resources and the relevant union or employee group if necessary. Other departments, such as Physical Plant Services, Communications and Marketing, Security and the Human Rights Office, will be included as required. 

 

CONFIDENTIALITY

  1. After reporting to the Medical Officer of Health, under no circumstances will the identity of any individual suspected of having an infectious disease be disclosed unless so ordered by the Medical Officer of Health.