Bird Flu Outbreak Sparks Call for Dairy Farms to Protect Workers

US dairy farm operators should initiate bird flu protection protocols for workers even if infected cows haven’t yet been found onsite, workplace safety attorneys are advising.

The CDC announced late last week that a third US dairy worker has been diagnosed with avian influenza as hundreds more are being monitored for signs they’ve contracted the disease. The virus has so far hit nine states: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas.

Operators in those states need to have measures in place and be prepared for OSHA inspections, said attorney Charles Palmer, the Wisconsin-based …