Advice for Businesses and the Workplace

Influenza in the workplace

Influenza spreads easily for person to person and while it is mild in most cases – and people will make a rapid and full recovery - it can be severe in some.

Employers can minimise the spread of influenza in the workplace by encouraging staff with flu-like-symptoms to remain away from work till symptoms have passed, and by promoting simple hygiene measures in the workplace.

Staff with influenza like symptoms who come to work using medicines that mask the infection - by suppressing the symptoms of fever or cough with medication such as paracetamol or pseudoephridrine, are still infectious and may pass the virus to other staff and customers.

General Advice

Workplaces should focus on:

• Promoting good hand, respiratory hygiene etiquette and other infection control practices. Download information posters and brochures to help you reduce the spread of influenza in your workplace.
• Ensuring that materials needed for hand and respiratory hygiene are readily available in the workplace (e.g. tissues and receptacles for their disposal, soap and hand washing facilities and/or alcohol-based hand sanitizers).
• Encouraging and supporting staff members with acute respiratory illnesses to stay at home until they are well (that is until their symptoms have completely resolved).
• Encouraging visitors/customers with acute respiratory illness (ARI) to stay away from the workplace until they are well (that is until their symptoms have completely resolved).

Infection Control in the Workplace

Employers can minimise the spread of influenza in the workplace by encouraging staff to get vaccinated against the pandemic influenza. In the event of an outbreak employers should promote simple hygiene measures in the workplace and ask staff who have flu-like-symptoms to remain away from work till symptoms have passed.

It is recommended that workplaces provide hand and respiratory hygiene materials, including disposable tissues, plastic-lined rubbish bins, soap and hand washing facilities and/or alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

The following staff notice can be used in the workplace.

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Important Staff Notice: Flu control in the workplace

To reduce the chance of spreading influenza to colleagues and customers please note that staff are advised not come to work if you have flu-like symptoms, which generally mean you have a fever of 38^o or above and a sore throat or cough.
If you are coughing or sneezing please:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue.
• Throw used tissues in a plastic-lined rubbish bin.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner, especially after you cough or sneeze.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay at least a couple of paces away from other people.

Staff at increased risk of complications from influenza

People with existing respiratory disease, diabetes, obesity, immune suppression and pregnant women may be at increased risk of complications from influenza infections. Consideration should be given to deploying staff members who fall into one or more of these groups to areas where they are at less risk of exposure to those who may have the infection.

Customers and visitors

Keeping your distance by standing or sitting back at least one metre from other people will help reduce the chances of spreading the flu virus. If someone has the flu, he or she should be separated from other people, if possible, and wear a surgical mask or face covering if possible.

The following Hospitality / Business Counter Notice can be used.

Help us reduce the spread of influenza

In the interest of your health, and the health of staff and other patrons, please follow these simple steps to reduce the spread of the flu:

1. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue to contain the spray of infected droplets and always bin the tissue after use. If you don’t have a tissue you should use your inner upper arm at the elbow rather than your hands.
2. Wash your hands often. The flu virus can survive on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours and can spread through hand contact.
3. Keep your distance. The flu virus spreads easily from person to person – even before people know they are sick. Try to keep a large step away from other people when you are in public.

If you have flu-like symptoms, such as a fever; cough; sore throat; tiredness; body aches; and headache you should rest and recover. If your symptoms worsen you may need medical attention.

This information is current for 17 May, 2012
This information was issued on 06 January, 2011