Swine flu update for businesses

5 May 2009

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The World Health Organisation has increased the pandemic alert to level 5, although it is important to remember that a pandemic has not yet been declared. Instead, this means that all countries' governments have been warned to ramp up their pandemic preparations. As an employer, you should also be aware of how to prevent and deal with pandemic influenza in your business.

The more your employees know about how to prevent infection, the more resilient your business will be if a pandemic does occur.

The Government have released the following guidance. If you employ staff, you should circulate the following information to them right now.

The key prevention messages are:

Always carry tissues
Use clean tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze
Bin the tissues after one use
Wash your hands with soap and hot water or a sanitizer gel often

In short: "Catch it, bin it, kill it."

If you, or any of your employees, have returned from an affected area and have flu like symptoms you are advised to stay at home, call your GP or NHS Direct and you will be assessed and receive treatment if necessary.

For the latest information about swine flu, health and travel advice, visit the Directgov website at: www.direct.gov.uk.

Members of the FPB who would like advice regarding crisis management and business continuity can call our helpline on 0845 130 1722, which is available Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm.

You may also find the guidance summarised below useful in planning for a pandemic influenza outbreak.

Current guidance for employers on pandemic influenza

[Note: A pandemic has not yet been declared]

Introductory advice to staff on planning for pandemic influenza

- click here to download a PDF from the Cabinet Office

This document can be used to raise awareness and to keep you informed of the risks and the planning work which is underway. All the information contained in this document is from published sources (listed at end).

Pandemic influenza – risk assessment in the occupational setting

The Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health have worked closely with the healthcare sector and certain non-healthcare services, such as the police and fire and rescue services, to develop pandemic influenza infection control guidance for specific occupational settings. More information can be found here. However, it is not possible to outline detailed pandemic influenza infection control guidance for every occupation or to cover every conceivable scenario where a person might be exposed to the risk of infection from flu.

With this in mind, this simple and generic guidance has been developed to raise awareness of the measures that may be employed to reduce the spread of the flu virus at work. it aims to:

Allow businesses to evaluate potential situations where there may be possible exposure to the flu virus
Describe the steps that can be taken to moderate any potential exposure to the flu virus in the workplace
Set out the measures that might be used to reduce the spread of the flu virus in the workplace
Provide a matrix that can be used to consider the best ways of reducing the spread of flu in a work environment
Put into context the relative value of personal protective equipment, including the wearing of face masks, when compared with other environmental and organisational approaches.

Click here to download a PDF from the Cabinet Office on pandemic influenza and the risk to your business.

Pandemic Influenza Checklist for Businesses

To assist in developing and reviewing plans, the Government has developed the following checklist specifically regarding pandemic influenza. It identifies important and specific activities which organisations can do to prepare for a pandemic as well as where more general guidance will be provided by the Government. Directed mainly at medium and large businesses, some elements will be of use to smaller businesses.

Download a copy of the Pandemic Influenza Checklist for Businesses here.

Pandemic influenza workplace guidance - HSE

You can also access general pandemic influenza guidance on the Health and Safety Executive website.