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Posted By Penfold
I had this email this morning and thought I'd drop it on here before I reply (if nothing else it deserved a bigger audience). Surely this in not in connection with work activity??
She has stated that "I know that larger companies are thinking about procedures ". Has anyone here outside of the health sector seriously taken steps?
anyway, email below:
"I wondered what steps (company name) are taking towards safeguarding its staff health in relation to Swine Flu? I know that larger companies are thinking about procedures so I assume that our company will too.
I would imagine that company name) will be sending Carex, antibacterial cleaners and disposable hand towels ASAP to each office? supplier orders are only done monthly so this would need to be implemented by head office very quickly.
I think that people in the company will also need to be reminded that frequent hand washing / hygiene etc is important in the coming weeks as more vulnerable members of staff may have problems coping with flu (as an asthmatic I am in a higher risk group myself).
Anyway I look forward to your email back!"
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Posted By clairel
No it's not in relation to a work activity. The same as the normal flu isn't.
However, I'm sure many businesses will want to put procedures in place to protect their business interests. If it's as easy to spread as they say then that could mean lots of staff off work sick, which is bad for business.
Jumping the gun at the moment but not a bad idea to think about impact on business now IMO.
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Posted By Stuff4blokes
The seriousness of this strain of flu outside of Mexico is not yet known but the US CDC is worried. Hopefully it will be non-event for the rest of the world.
General risk management principles indicate that any credible threat to an undertaking should be considered and mitigation measures brought to bear if needed. Clearly, the absence of a significant proportion of the workforce would be a major problem for most businesses.
Whilst not strictly work-related, this may well turn out to be a major health issue, made worse by contact with infected personnel at work. Good hygiene procedures are worthwhile at all times and the marketing departments of suppliers of hygiene products have a golden opportunity that they could not be expected to pass up. Top marks to the originator of the email.
Health and safety professionals should keep up to date with developments as we are likely to be asked some significant questions.
Or are we just concerned with "easy" safety?
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Posted By Mike DF
We are treating this as a business continuity / disaster recovery issue. And because BC/DR is not one of my hats it is not down to me.
With regards to personal hygiene; high standards should operate at all times. Maybe a quick check of the janitorial supplies is enough to put minds at rest
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Posted By clairel
Just read the news and the Gov't is to send out an advice sheet to all homes - which will generally be on good hygiene.
We're struggling to get doctors and nurses to think about cleanliness (been in hopsital recently and noticed how little that bottle of hand santizer at the bottom of the bed is used by staff) so not sure how we get the general public to take it seriously.
It's amazing how many people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet let alone think about using tissues and washing their hands at other times. Because I meet so many different people everyday I carry sanitzer about with me and am fanatical about cleaning my hands (biggest source of transmission). But I seriously get fed up with the amount of clients coughing and sneezing on me.
Vitamin C with zinc and Echinacea for me over the coming months (yes, I know there's no proof but I swear by them)!!!
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Posted By Andy Petrie
Our main areas are around business continuity and ensuring that all staff have at least one nominated and approved deputy who can take over their key work items should their be a prolongued absence due to ill health.
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Posted By Larryl
I have received an e-mail this morning offering a DVD called Swine Flu - the facts, priced at the "emergency price" their words not mine of £49, normally £89, they also have in stock masks at £16 for 50.
Would this be classed as jumping on the bandwagon or am I missing something.
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Posted By ScotsAM
I work in the food manufacturing sector.
We have a strict regime relating to workplace and personal hygiene.
As well as this, we are also monitoring the health of employees in order to request employees to take paid absence if showing flu like symptomes.
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Posted By ScotsAM
Just to mention, in my company this is being treated as part of BCP which isn't my hat either.
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Posted By bereznikov
Just for anyones interest, this is on the bbc sport website today:
"Arsenal's Mexican striker Carlos Vela was ordered to stay away from training on Monday while doctor's carried out tests on him for swine flu. The Gunners were worried after Vela had friends from his homeland visit him at the weekend but the 20-year-old was given the all-clear (Various)"
bereznikov
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Posted By Mike DF
Swine flu in the Arsenal camp - now I am concerned. We are going to need a fit team to beat Man U tonight
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Posted By Jay Joshi
Any type of a pandemic disease outbreak should be a part of business continuity planning.
Swine flu isn't one so far, but who knows--the next few weeks are critical.
Some of us may be involved in working for organisations that operate globally or have employees that travel to various parts of the world, therefore it already is a workplace issue for them.
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Posted By Chris Packham
Note that sanitisers, usually alcohol based, do not work with all viruses. As yet I have no information about whether they work with swine flu virus, so insisting on their use, whilst generally good practice, might not confer the protection that some imagine.
Antiseptic cleansers are a very doubtful proposition. Most require skin contact time of around one minute or more. Try rubbing your hands together for one minute, then ask yourself whether anyone would wash for this length of time. Also what would be the effect on skin condition. As the Royal College of Physicians has stated, damaged skin is more easily colonised by transient bacteria.
I am also concerned about the face masks that one sees being worn on the television. What is the real level of protection these offer? I have information from the USA that suggests that against viruses their performance is very doubtful.
Chris
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Posted By A Campbell
Chris,
I think the NHS are being supplied with FFP3 masks as normal surgical masks would give very limited protection and become moist in minutes!
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Posted By Chris Packham
Which begs the question: "Why those simple cloth masks that we see on the screen? And what masks will be made available by the Government for the general public if a pandemic does arise?"
Anyway, I have my own. I have also managed to get hold of a new sanitising product that is alcohol based but specially formulated to work against viruses. No confirmation that it will work against the swine flu virus, though.
Chris
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Posted By clairel
Without wishing to sound dismissive, I'm really not, I think that:
a) Many professionals seem to believe that the virus is not going to be so much of a problem (not so widespeard and not so aggressive) here for various sociological and medical reasons (see BBC website) - notice that people in Europe seem to be much less ill with the virus (currently)
b) Even if things like sanitsers aren't 100% effective I think the important message is good personal hygiene and I think that is the message I have so far seen from the Gov't. I can't wash my hands all the time when I'm on the road and so the sanitiser is a good middle ground. I also use moisturiser on my hands frequently to prevent drying etc. But I do all this anyway.
c) Let's not panic everyone just yet. Being informed and aware is very important but being overly paranoid can be detrimental.
I think the important message is personal hygiene and being aware of the situation....and of course keeping well by eating a good balanced diet and exercising regularly to maintain your own health and therefore your ability to fight off illness!
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Posted By A Campbell
By all accounts this is not a new virus and has affected people in the past, although no known cases available in the uk.
The US had a small outbreak in the late 70's from memory in a military base where there was just 1 fatality.
It's certainly interesting that to date the morbidity rates are confined to Mexico.. including the unfortunate first death today in the US (was a Mexican national)
Let's hope hysteria and myths are kept to a minimum
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Posted By Jay Joshi
There is also a comprehensive "Pandemic flu guidance for businesses: risk assessment in the occupational setting"
from Department of Health and Health Protection Agency in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Cabinet Office at:-
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/...icyAndGuidance/DH_097137
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Posted By Penfold
Thanks for all the responses. I have concluded that although we are not duty bound to put controls in place, we should be thinking more about business continuity. The link to the IOSH recommendations sums it up. This is now on my bosses desk.
Thanks again
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Posted By Garry Mcglaid
I have advised our staff to take some oinkment
Sorry
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Posted By joolz040770
In relation to BCP around Pandemic situations, and potential pandemics such as A/H1N1 Swine Influenza Virus, we have a crisis flow that we follow - designed by yours truly - when such situations arise (thankfully not that often). Any companies who have staff regularly travelling internationally should be taking some steps to address their duty of care as appropriate, inform staff and monitor the situation so that if a global pandemic is confirmed, you are prepared as much as possible. Bear in mind that WHO is at Pandemic Level 5 with this virus which means global pandemic is imminent.
Serious stuff IMO.
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Posted By Chris Packham
According to my dictionary "pandemic" reads as "widespread, general, universal" and "epidemic over an especially wide geographical area". Nothing there about the severity of the disease.
Listening to the radio yesterday a pandemic that occurred last century was described with the accompanying statement that it was so mild that people simply were not aware of it.
Certainly we need to take precautions, but isn't there a possibility that due to media 'hype' people are starting to overreact with all the potential consequences that that might bring with it?
Could it not be that we need to know first how serious the effect of the flu will be, then decide what action is needed.
Chris
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Posted By A Campbell
Chris,
I suppose that depends on what actions you decide to follow.
In Japan many companies have initiated precautions coinciding with WHO phase 6 ... being 1 step ahead... they decided this within their own scope of operations.
Asia has had more experience of pandemic influenza than most western areas so who knows if their actions are too prudent or not?
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Posted By joolz040770
I agree media hype doesn't help which is why I tend to use WHO and Government sites. I feel it's always best to be prepared but also have a pragmatic approach to such issues.
Incidentally, NHS24 in Scotland has today launched a dedicated Help Line for members of the public which does indicate a genuine reason to take this particular virus seriously.
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Posted By Tabs
" so who knows if their actions are too prudent or not?"
Having been on the skirts of SARS, I can testify to the very high costs faced by large Asian companies during that period.
A stitch in time ...
Personally, I am using this experience to test our resilience to a virulent, fatal strain.
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Posted By Raymond Rapp
There is a 'swine flu' helpline. I phoned it but all I got was crackling...sorry.
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Posted By Chris Packham
I looked at the WHO website re pandemic. To me it seems as if the levels are related purely to the potential for the spread of infection. I did not find anything that addressed the potential severity of any infection or the outcome.
Chris
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Posted By A Campbell
raymond...
Stop telling porkies!
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Posted By TT
Writing as a microbiologist, I can't see the big fuss. The theoretical is, as ever, more dramatic than the reality.
Flu kills thousands of people in the UK every year (12,000? - figure dragged from the back of my memory somewhere)...nearly all in the obvious vulnerable groups. This is NOT the dreaded avian flu we were all warned about which was dangerous because our immune systems were comparatively defenceless against it. This is essentially a different strain of 'normal' flu.
From the limited information available I can't see that this epidemic/pandemic is going to be terribly different (perhaps an increased 'hit' rate but likely similar mortality) from the usual seasonal flu - perhaps the hype is a consequence of improved vigilance and readiness more than anything else - so until someone tells me that the strain has mutated further to a less common variety, I ain't too worried.
The experts that are willing to talk about it are hedging their bets and being cagey about guessing outcomes but the current evidence is that the Western world is more than ready to deal with this, without even having Tamiflu and masks.
Oh, and whilst I'm on masks....I'm loving seeing celebrities etc. wearing them. How utterly pointless. They are largely to prevent ill people spreading the virus by catching spray droplets of a sneeze, not healthy people catching it.
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Posted By ScotsAM
TT, isn't the whole point of businesses preparing for a pandemic so they can continue to run effectively with a potentially reduced workforce?
Whilst the mortality rate may not be the issue, a higher than normal hit rate you mention will have an effect on businesses.
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Posted By Rumi
Even if the mortality rate is the same as ordinary flu, if 5 or 10 million britons catch the novel flu virus, it will test the NHS to it's limits.
Do we have enough hospital beds?
Do we have enough NHS staff?
Do we have enough respirators?
How much have the New Labour privatisations and reconfigurations weakened the NHS?
Depending on the virulence of this virus, we may soon learn the answers. If we're lucky, it will peter out.
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Posted By GaryC40
The link to politics is lame. I also believe that HS people who claim not to wear a BCM 'hat' are a disgrace to the 'profession'. At the heart of HS is the need to provide protection to the workforce and those affected by the processes that take place as a result of it. All of 'us' must realise that HS has a wide ranging scope that involves not only protection of the people but also the very thing that gives us a reason to exist in modern society IE employment. The attitude of HS professionals MUST evolve to incorporate the many risks that affect business - direct and/or indirect. Attitudes to global risks such as environmental and biological must include these threats. Wake up out there or become...redundant.
GC
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Posted By jervis
My NHS [Mental Health Sector] have just put a big plan into place just in case as we work closely with general hospital. A lot of input from Unite the Union as well !
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Posted By ScotsAM
Gary,
Why the excessive use of invwerted commas around words such as 'profession' and 'us'?
I said that I don't wear the BCM hat. Does that make me a disgrace to our profession?
In the company I am employed with, those decisions are worked on by the H&S manager, site managers and company directors. I don't feel it's fair to label everybody that's not involved with BCM as a disgrace as each and every one of us is in a different situation. For example I am fairly new to the profession and working in an assistant position to gain experience before moving up the managerial ladder.
Perhaps you should think for a second before usigng disparaging terms to label you peers.
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Posted By GaryC40
Ok,
The reason i took a chance a used the strong word 'disgrace' is that i wanted to evoke a reaction. The reason for this is simple - i feel that the profession of H/S has an almost unlimited scope that we all should use to our benefit hence the 'redundant' comment. Too many people seem to consistently state that areas with clear links to H/S are not part of their remit(security, BCM and so on) and there lies the problem.Its almost as if they enjoy saying it to reinforce that they have escaped from extra work. BCM for instance has very clear and definable links to the health and safety of employees and the organisation as a whole so why would one involved in H/S not be involved at some level?
As a goodwill gesture i will substitute 'disgrace' for 'severely disappointed'.
As for the ' i just like using them to highlight key terms such as 'Hat'.
GC
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