Developing a COVID Prevention Program

The Developing a COVID Prevention Program course from the American Institute of Safety Professionals teaches safety professionals and managers how to design, implement, and maintain an infectious disease prevention programme using COVID-19 as the case study and framework. While COVID-specific requirements have evolved since the pandemic’s peak, the programme design competencies this course teaches are permanent: infectious disease hazard assessment, engineering controls (ventilation improvement, physical barriers), administrative controls (screening, cohorting, remote work), PPE management (respiratory protection, face coverings), vaccination policy governance, return-to-work protocols, and the programme governance that enables rapid activation when the next infectious disease event occurs.

The curriculum covers infectious disease hazard assessment for the workplace, ventilation as the primary engineering control (filtration, air changes, MERV ratings, portable HEPA, outdoor air percentage), physical barriers and workspace modification, health screening protocols, testing programmes, contact tracing awareness, PPE for infectious disease (N95/KN95 respirators, face shields, gowns, gloves), vaccination policy development (mandates, accommodations, documentation), remote and hybrid work policies, return-to-work protocols after illness, communication and mental health support, regulatory compliance (OSHA guidance, state requirements), and the scalable programme framework that activates for future pandemics. All training is delivered 100 percent online through the American Institute of Safety Professionals LMS. Upon completion, graduates receive a certificate, wallet card, and transcript, employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Conduct infectious disease hazard assessment: evaluating workplace risk factors (indoor versus outdoor, ventilation adequacy, occupant density, customer/public interaction, shared surfaces, travel requirements) and the assessment that determines which controls are needed.
• Implement ventilation improvements: increasing outdoor air percentage, upgrading filtration (MERV-13 minimum), portable HEPA units for high-risk areas, and the ventilation engineering that is the most effective single control for airborne disease transmission.
• Design screening and testing protocols: symptom screening, temperature checks (limitations acknowledged), testing programmes (surveillance, diagnostic, return-to-work), and the protocols that identify potentially infectious individuals before workplace exposure.
• Manage respiratory protection for infectious disease: N95/KN95 selection, fit testing requirements, face covering policies, supply chain management, and the respiratory protection programme adapted for pandemic-scale use.
• Develop vaccination policies: mandatory versus voluntary programmes, medical and religious accommodations, documentation requirements, and the policy governance that balances public health with individual rights.
• Design return-to-work protocols: isolation duration, symptom resolution criteria, testing requirements for return, documentation, and the protocols that prevent premature return while minimising unnecessary absence.

Core Curriculum Topics

• Infectious Disease Hazard Assessment: workplace risk factors, exposure pathways, vulnerability
• Ventilation: outdoor air, filtration (MERV-13+), HEPA, air changes, engineering controls
• Physical Barriers: workspace modification, plexiglass, spacing, traffic flow
• Screening Protocols: symptoms, temperature, testing, contact tracing awareness
• PPE: N95/KN95, face shields, gowns, gloves, supply management
• Vaccination Policy: mandates, accommodations, documentation, legal considerations
• Remote and Hybrid Work: policy development, ergonomic considerations, communication
• Return-to-Work: isolation, symptom resolution, testing, documentation, protocols
• Communication: transparent, timely, multilingual, addressing anxiety and misinformation
• Mental Health Support: pandemic stress, isolation, uncertainty, resources
• Regulatory Compliance: OSHA guidance, state requirements, evolving standards
• Scalable Framework: programme design that activates for future infectious disease events

• No prior training required
• No academic degree required
• All instruction in English

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Safety managers developing infectious disease prevention programmes
• HR managers managing vaccination policies, screening, and return-to-work
• Facility managers implementing ventilation improvements and workspace modifications
• Operations managers adapting operations for infectious disease controls
• Business continuity planners incorporating pandemic scenarios
• Any professional responsible for workplace infectious disease preparedness

• Developing a COVID Prevention Program — YOU ARE HERE
• Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP prevention for healthcare/first aid)
• Planning Workplace Emergencies (pandemic as one emergency scenario)
• Managing Safety and Health in General Industry (programme management)