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Preparing Small Business Workplaces for Influenza Pandemic. This material was produced under grant number SH-16619-07-60-F-51 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
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Preparing Small Business Workplaces forInfluenza Pandemic This material was produced under grant number SH-16619-07-60-F-51 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Based on OSHA’s Guidance and pandemicflu.gov Boat People SOS - Oct ’07
Goals of Pandemic Influenza Planning • Reduce morbidity • Reduce mortality • Maintain essential services and operations for your business during a pandemic
“This is scary and we don’t know…” “We don’t know the timing of the next pandemic, how severe it will be. We don’t know what drugs will work. We don’t have a vaccine. Yet we are telling everyone to prepare for a pandemic. It’s tricky…This is scary and we don’t know…that’s the message.” Dick Thompson World Health Organization December 2005
Three Types of Influenza Seasonal influenza refers to the periodic outbreaks of respiratory illness in the fall and winter. Avian influenza- also known as the bird flu - is caused by virus that infects wild birds and domestic poultry. Two types: Low pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5 and H7) and highly pathogenic avian or bird influenza of the H5N1 strain. Pandemic influenza refers to a worldwide outbreak of influenza among people when a new strain of the virus emerges that has the ability to infect humans and to spread from person to person.
What is seasonal flu? • Contagious, respiratory illness • Affects 5-20% of population each year • Kills approximately 36,000 every year • Can be prevented with a vaccine
Bird or Avian Flu – H5N1 • A powerful virus • Spread by migratory birds • Transmitted from birds to humans and other mammals • Kills 60% of its victims • It continues to change
H5N1 Transmission Bird Human Handling live diseased birds Preparing dead diseased birds Eating undercooked poultry Human Human Rare 2004 Thailand 2006 Indonesia Courtesy of Dr. Steve Lawrence www.bbc.co.uk
What is Pandemic Influenza? An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness.
Flu Pandemics in the Last Century • 1918: Spanish Flu • Killed 50 million worldwide • Killed 675,000 Americans • 1957: Asian Flu • Killed 2 million people worldwide • Killed 70,000 Americans • 1968: Hong Kong Flu • Killed 1 million people worldwide • Killed 34,000 Americans
How a Severe Pandemic Influenza Could Affect Workplaces • Absenteeism - A pandemic could affect as many as 40 percent of the workforce during periods of peak influenza illness. Employees could be absent because they are sick, must care for sick family members and/or children. • Change in patterns of commerce - Consumers may also change the ways in which they shop as a result of the pandemic. • Interrupted supply/delivery - Shipments of items from those geographic areas severely affected by the pandemic may be delayed or cancelled.
Occupational Risk Pyramid for Pandamic Influenza Healthcare providers (doctors, nurses, dentists) Healthcare employees (medical technicians, mortuary employees) Employees with high-frequency contact (nail people, retails) Office employees
How Influenza Can Spread Between People • Influenza is thought to be primarily spread through large droplets (droplet transmission) that directly contact the nose, mouth or eyes. • Droplets are produced when infected people cough, sneeze or talk, sending the relatively large infectious droplets and very small sprays (aerosols) into the nearby air and into contact with other people. • Large droplets can only travel a limited range; therefore, people should limit close contact (within 6 feet) with others when possible.
Potential Impact of Pandemic Flu • Interruption of services • Public transportation, communications, schools, banks, stores, restaurants, utilities, medical care, police and first responders • Negative impact on world economy • Overwhelmed hospitals • Supply shortages for local businesses
Who Should Plan for an Influenza Pandemic? • It is important for all businesses and organizations to begin continuity planning for a pandemic now. • Lack of continuity planning can result in a cascade of failures as employers attempt to address challenges of a pandemic with insufficient resources and lack of skilled employees. • Proper planning will allow employers to better protect their employees and prepare for changing patterns of commerce and potential disruptions in supplies or services.
Small Business Employee Exposure to Pandemic Influenza at Work • A significant number of Vietnamese people work in small businesses such as nail salons, retail shops, markets, and restaurants. • Frequent and close contact (within 6 feet; physical contact with customers in nail salons), greatly increases their exposure to known or suspected sources of pandemic influenza virus such as coworkers, and the general public. • And thus are considered medium-to-high exposure risk.
Develop a Business Pandemic Influenze Plan • As an employer, you have an important role in protecting employee health and safety, and limiting the impact of an influenza pandemic. • Hand-outs of Business Pandemic Influenza Planning. This materials is based on www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/businesschecklist.html (more detailed in slide 25)
What might happen? School closures 30% of workforce absent Voluntary quarantine or isolation Social distancing measures Who do you need to plan for? Yourself Your children Your job Those with special needs, at home or in a facility Step 1: Create a plan for You
How Employers Can Protect Their Employees This plan will include four type of controls listed from most effective to lest effective: • Engineering controls • Administrative controls • Work practice controls • Personal protective equipment (PPE) Depending on business workplace, employers may choose one or more types of controls.
Engineering Controls • Small business, particularly nail salons should install ventilation system with air filtration. • Retail stores: should install physical barriers, such as clear plastic sneeze guards where possible. Note: Nail employees spend 9-10 hours/day inside the salon. Good ventilation is important. It protects you and employees from unpleasant odors, hazardous chemicals, irritating pollutants, etc.
Administrative controls • Small business employers should schedule their employees’ tasks in ways that minimize exposure levels. For example: • Developing a policy that encourages ill employees to stay home without fear of any reprisals. • Rotate workers if feasible and give them more exercise breaks during certain exposure. • Post signs about symptoms of the flu and suggest sick customers to avoid contact with their employees
Work Practice Controls Employers will be educated to implement safety work practices so that employees can reduce the duration, frequency or intensity of exposure to known or suspected influenza virus. For example: • Providing resources that promote personal • hygiene: no-touch trash cans, hand soap, • hand sanitizer, disinfectants and disposable • towels. • Encouraging employees to obtain a flu shot. • Providing employees with up-to-date • education and training on influenza risk • factors, protective and preventive • behaviors. • Developing policies to minimize contact • between employees and between • employees and clients (within 6 feet), • include reducing the number of crowded • settings.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Small businesses, particularly nail salons should provide employees PPE (masks, gloves, safety glasses and face shield) to minimize exposure to influenza virus.
Personal Protective Equipment (cont.) • PPE should be properly fitted, properly worn and maintained; especially properly removed and disposed to avoid contamination of self and others. • Employees should wash their hands frequently. For nail salon employees, they should wash their hands after each service to customers.
