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More H than S at the moment

15th Jul 2009
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Swine flu is going to be an issue for all of us over the next few years. Have you got a plan?

We are putting together a practice-wide strategy and staff policy so that we protect our people as far as we can. I am particularly aware that we have some elderly consultants, some asthmatics and the inevitable pregnancy, so we have team members who are at higher risk than others.

At the moment we're just monitoring it. A few of us are in contact with third parties who are themselves in contact with swine flu sufferers, so I guess it's inevitable that someone in the office will get it sooner or later. All we can do is wait and see, and hope that the attacks are quick and mild - and not all at once!

Thankfully the widespread use of email and Internet means that we could operate fairly effectively if we felt it appropriate to ban all avoidable contact with outsiders - including clients. I get a bad chest infection every couple of years, and it's always following a meeting with a wheezing client in a stuffy room! I can almost feel my throat prickling within 10 minutes of the start of the meeting! I don't want to risk catching swine flu in that way, so if it became very widespread around here I think we would seriously consider working behind locked doors and seriously restricting physical contact with clients. We probably need to step up our use of teleconferencing and online meeting services such as WebEx, or even Skype.

We also need to step up basic office hygiene procedures - get a stock of alcohol hand cleaner and anti-viral surface cleaner, and make sure they are used regularly. Surfaces in reception and shared areas, and especially door handles, ought to be wiped clean several times a day. I notice our health centre, for example, now has bins with lids specifically for used tissues, with 'use once and bin it' notices (although I notice you have to handle the lid to lift it, which seems to defeat the object!). A few strategically-placed kitchen pedal bins around the office might be a good idea.

So, despite my cynicism, health and safety is a timely issue for all of us right now.

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By alistair_king
17th Jul 2009 07:02

H&S
I work in Hong Kong and so far we have managed to avoid a major outbreak.

Our lifts get cleaned every couple of hours. We have disinfectant carpet and dispensers for hand cleaning gel at the entrance to the office.
All of this is prety much done for all offices and shopping malls etc all across Hong Kong.
Face masks are available over the counter at chemists shop - and people wear them out and about.
ATMs and lifts all have wipe clean plastic sheets over the buttons.
Schools with swine flu victims closed.
Then they decided to close all schools early for summer.

When I write it all down, it sounds like overkill. But then when I think about the population density here, the fact that it has, so far, suppressed a major outbreak speaks volumes.

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By dennismiller
17th Jul 2009 14:47

swine flu
Thousands die of flu every year, so why the panic about this?

Contact with other people helps to spread diseases and our exposure to germs etc. helps to build immunity.

Yes, take precautions with sensible H&S practices such as wiping telephone handsets etc. and asking staff not to come into work if they are less then 100%, but let us not get carried away by the media's feeding frenzy.

It's Flu, that's all!!!

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