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Protecting Your Employees and Business from Pandemic Human Influenza Action manual for small and medium-sized enterprises Avian and Human Influenza in the Workplace (Thailand) Project Subregional Office for East Asia Tsuyoshi Kawakami

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Page 1: Protecting Your Employees and Business from Pandemic Human … · Protecting Your Employees and Business from Pandemic Human Influenza PREFACE The outbreak of avian influenza and

Protecting Your Employees andBusiness from PandemicHuman Influenza

Action manual forsmall and medium-sized enterprises

Avian and Human Influenza in the Workplace (Thailand) Project

Subregional Office for East Asia

Tsuyoshi Kawakami

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Protecting Your Employees and Business from Pandemic Human Influenza

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Protecting Your Employees and Business from Pandemic Human Influenza

Protecting Your Employees andBusiness from

Pandemic Human Influenza

Tsuyoshi Kawakami

Action manual forsmall and medium-sized enterprises

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Protecting Your Employees and Business from Pandemic Human Influenza

Copyright © International Labour Organization 2009First published 2009

Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal CopyrightConvention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition thatthe source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to ILO Publications(Rights and Permissions), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email:[email protected]. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications.

Libraries, institutions and other users registered in the United Kingdom with the Copyright Licensing Agency,90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP [Fax: (+44) (0)20 7631 5500; email: [email protected]], in the UnitedStates with the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 [Fax: (+1) (978) 750 4470;email: [email protected]] or in other countries with associated Reproduction Rights Organizations, may makephotocopies in accordance with the licences issued to them for this purpose.

Kawakami, Tsuyoshi

Protecting your employees and business from pandemic human influenza: action manual for small and medium-sized enterprises/Tsuyoshi Kawakami; Avian and Human Influenza in the Workplace (Thailand) Project, ILOSubregional Office for East Asia; Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, Ministry of Labour. – Bangkok:ILO, 2009

24 p.

ISBN: 9789221219491; 9789221219507 (pdf )

ILO Subregional Office for East Asia, Avian and Human Influenza in the Workplace (Thailand) Project; Thailand,Ministry of Labour; Department of Labour Protection and Welfare

trainers manual / occupational health / occupational safety / occupational disease / infectious disease / checklist

13.04.2ILO Cataloguing in Publication Data

The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and thepresentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of theInternational Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, orconcerning the delimitation of its frontiers.

The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with theirauthors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinionsexpressed in them.

Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by theInternational Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is nota sign of disapproval.

ILO publications can be obtained through major booksellers or ILO local offices in many countries, or direct fromILO Publications, International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or ILO Regional Office for Asiaand the Pacific, 11th Floor, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand, or byemail: [email protected]. Catalogues or lists of new publications are available free of charge from the above address,or by email: [email protected]

Visit our website: www.ilo.org/publns or www.ilo.org/asia

Printed in Thailand

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Table of Contents

Page

Preface ................................................................................................................................... 5

Action Checklist .................................................................................................................... 7

Checkpoint 1: Collect updated information .......................................................................... 14

Checkpoint 2: Develop a company preparedness plan ........................................................... 16

Checkpoint 3: Reduce contact at the workplace .................................................................... 18

Checkpoint 4: Promote personal hygiene habits .................................................................... 20

Checkpoint 5: Support sick workers and their families .......................................................... 22

Annex 1: Information sources ................................................................................................ 24

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PREFACE

The outbreak of avian influenza and the ongoing incidences of infected cases have promptedworldwide concern. The International Labour Organization (ILO), realizing the significance ofpreparing all sectors in the event of pandemic human influenza, initiated a pilot project entitled“Avian and Human Influenza in the Workplace (Thailand) Project”. This project is funded by theUN Central Fund for Influenza Action (CFIA).

One of the key activities of this project is to develop training materials to promote safe practices insmall and medium-sized enterprises. This training manual is a product of several field visits to findgood practices of pandemic human influenza prevention measures and consultations with ThaiMinistries of Public Health and Labour, WHO, UNSIC (UN System Influenza Coordination) andother UN agencies. These observations formed the basis of the illustrations and contents of thetraining manual.

The manual is user-friendly and practical, providing an action-checklist on various preventionmeasures including explanations and descriptions. The unique participatory training methods of theILO, Work Improvement in Small Enterprises (WISE) and Work Improvement in NeighbourhoodDevelopment (WIND), were used to promote understanding and encourage improvement actionsof employers and workers in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The scope of the project’s training manual and action-checklist will not be limited to Thailand.Instead, they will serve as a model, which can be adapted to different countries’ contexts and needsto further promote pandemic planning.

The ILO project team prepared the text and the action-checklist, and supervised the developmentof the illustrations. The team consisted of: Dr Tsuyoshi Kawakami, Senior Occupational Safety andHealth Specialist of the ILO Subregional Office for East Asia; Ms Duanne Punpiputt & Ms SuttidaChaikitsakol, National Project Coordinators; and Ms Monrudee Sucharitakul, Project Secretary. Weare grateful to Mr Donato Kiniger-Passigli, Senior Specialist, ILO CRISIS in Geneva and Ms JittimaSrisuknam, Programme Officer of the ILO Subregional Office for East Asia for their valuable advice.

The ILO extends special acknowledgement to all that have contributed to the development ofthe manual and action-checklist and hopes that the training manual will help many small andmedium-sized enterprises develop preparedness plans for pandemic human influenza.

Bill SalterDirectorILO Subregional Office for East AsiaBangkok, ThailandJanuary 2009

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Protecting your employees and business fromPandemic Human Influenza

ACTION CHECKLISTfor Small and Medium-Sized

Enterprises

HOW TO USE THE CHECKLIST

1. Read each item carefully. Look for a way to apply the measure. If necessary ask some questionsto managers and workers in your company.

2. If the measure has been applied or it is not needed, mark NO under “Do you proposeaction?”. If you think the measure is worthwhile, mark YES. Use the space under REMARKSto put a description of your suggestion or its location.

3. After you have gone through all the items, look again at the items you have marked YES.Choose a few items where the benefits seem likely to be the most important. MarkPRIORITY for these items.

4. Before finishing, make sure that you have marked NO or YES for each item, and that for someitems marked YES you have marked PRIORITY.

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I. Collect information

1. Collect updated information on thePandemic Human Influenza situationfrom health offices, labour offices, andemployers’ organizations.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

2. Share the information with yourcustomers, suppliers, banks, neigh-bouring companies, and other busi-ness partners.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

3. Share the information with workersand discuss the improvement in theoccupational safety and health com-mittee.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

II. Develop a companypreparedness plan

4. Show the management commitmentto protect workers and the businessfrom Pandemic Human Influenza.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

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5. Organize a committee to prepare theplan.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

6. Design the preparedness plan tocover key aspects of your businesscontinuity such as supply of rawmaterials, cash stock, transportationmeans, and product delivery to yourcustomers.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

7. Prepare practical support measuresto protect your workers includingmedical care, personal hygiene habits,and work procedures to minimizehuman-to-human contact.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

8. Collect and learn from preparednessplans of other companies.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

1.50 m

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1.50 m

III. Minimize human-to-humancontact at the workplace

9. Keep 1.50 meters or more betweenwork stations.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

10. Promote one-way use of staircasesand paths.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

11. Assign staff to work at home if thework can be done at home.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

12. Organize telephone or internetmeetings instead of face-to-facemeetings.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

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13. Clean and disinfect door knobs,water taps, switches, copiers andother items which many peopletouch constantly.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

14. Provide safe transportation meansfor company staff.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

IV. Personal hygiene habits

15. Establish a company practice thateveryone washes their hands care-fully.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

16. Allow workers to use a mask in theworkplace and also when they areoutside.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

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17. Cover your mouth and nose witha handkerchief when you cough orsneeze.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

18. If there is no handkerchief, sneeze orcough into your elbow and not yourhand. This will spread less germ.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

19. Train workers how to wash handsand wear masks appropriately.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

20. Ensure that the workplace has asufficient number of washing sinks.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

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V. Support sick workers

21. Regularly make contact by phone orinternet with sick workers staying athome or their families to providesupport.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

22. Discuss with your workers possiblesupport measures for sick workersstaying at home.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

23. Advise workers to prepare sufficientcash, food, water, soap and othernecessities for Pandemic HumanInfluenza.

Do you propose action? No Yes Priority

Remarks: ..........................................................

........................................................................

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CHECKPOINT 1Collect updated information on Pandemic Human Influenza to protect yourworkers and business

BENEFITS FOR SMALL ENTERPRISESSmall enterprises need to protect their workersand business from future Pandemic HumanInfluenza. Many of them plan to keep runningtheir business under a pandemic situation.Collecting updated information on PandemicHuman Influenza is the first step to planningand implementing practical actions to protectyour workers and business under futurePandemic.

Small enterprises can do many things at theworkplace level to reduce the risk of PandemicHuman Influenza infection. Reducing directhuman-to-human contact in the workprocedure is possible in many ways. Ownersand workers can jointly promote personalhygiene habits such as washing hands, orcoughing etiquettes. Your preparation forPandemic Human Influenza will be able toprovide a good model to other small enterprisesin terms of protective measures, guidelines andinstructions to staff.

HOW TO IMPROVE1. Collect updated information on the

Pandemic Human Influenza situationfrom health or labour offices, employers’organizations, and business associationsnear your company.

2. Pay attention to TV and Radio news whichprovides the latest information.

3. Constantly visit homepages relating tohealth and business issues to find updatedinformation on Pandemic Human Influenza.See Annex 1 showing a list of useful websites.

WAYS TO PROMOTE COOPERATIONShare the updated information you havecollected with your employees regularly. Ask

them to inform you of any Pandemic HumanInfluenza information they have. The clearcommitment of the top-management buildsa strong foundation for effective cooperationbetween employers and their workers. Invite theideas and views of your employees on how towork together to protect their health andworkplaces from future Pandemic HumanInfluenza. For this you may have regularmeetings to collect input from your employees.

SOME MORE HINTS1. Share the information with your customers,

suppliers, banks, neighboring companies,and other business partners. Find out usefulinformation sources from them forprotecting your business and employees.Discuss collaborative plans with them onhow to keep the business running andprotect employees under a future Pandemicsituation.

2. Multinationals and large enterprises oftenhave their own comprehensive preparednessplans against Pandemic Human Influenza.Ask for their advice when you work withthem.

3. Include Pandemic Human Influenza as animportant agenda item to occupationalsafety and health committee activities ofyour company. Provide regular updates tothe members. Assign a safety officer of yourcompany to lead these activities.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Small enterprises can do many things toreduce the risk of Pandemic HumanInfluenza infection at workplace level.

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Figure 1.1 Pandemic Human Influenza infects a person directly from another person.

Figure 1.3 Keep collecting updated information on Pandemic Human Influenza. The situation ischanging and can directly affect your business.

Figure 1.2 (Human) Pandemic Influenza Phases by World Health Organization (WHO)

Phase 1 No animal influenza virus circulating among animals has beenreported to cause infection in humans.

Phase 2 An animal influenza virus circulating in domesticated or wildanimals is known to have caused infection in humans and istherefore considered a specific potential pandemic threat.

Phase 3 An animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus has causedsporadic cases or small clusters of disease in people, but has notresulted in human-to-human transmission sufficient to sustaincommunity level outbreaks.

Phase 4 Human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animalinfluenza reassortant virus able to sustain community level outbreaks

Let’s see which WHOPandemic Phase we arecurrently at.

has been verified.

Phase 5 The same identified virus has caused sustained community level outbreaks in two or more countries inone WHO region.

Phase 6 In addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5, the same virus has caused sustained community leveloutbreaks in at least one other country in another WHO region.

Post-peak period Levels of pandemic influenza in most countries with adequate surveillance have dropped below peak levels.

Possible new wave Level of pandemic influenza activity in most countries with adequate surveillance rising again.

Post-pandemic Levels of influenza activity have returned to the levels seen for seasonal influenza in most countries withperiod adequate surveillance.

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BENEFITS FOR SMALL ENTERPRISESThere are many practical ways for smallenterprises to prepare themselves for futurePandemic Human Influenza. If you have aneffective preparedness plan, you can betterprotect your business and workers. Yourbusiness continuity under the Pandemic wouldcontribute to the whole society. Closure ofmany small enterprises would cause paralysis ofthe economy and social disruption.

Commitment and leadership of the owner andthe top management are most important todevelop a workable company plan and receivefull cooperation from your workers. Keep yourworkers informed about the Pandemic HumanInfluenza situation and the progress of thecompany plan. It is also imperative to havea business continuity plan to ensure manage-ment of services and sustainability of produc-tion irrespective of external factors.

HOW TO IMPROVE1. State to all staff of your company that

the management will make a companypreparedness plan for future PandemicHuman Influenza. Tell them the manage-ment welcomes their ideas for developingthe plan.

2. Organize a committee to prepare the plan.Define who should do what until when.

3. Your plan should cover key aspects to keepyour business running under a Pandemiccondition. The plan will include supply ofraw materials, cash stock for emergency, cashflow from banks, transportation means, andproduct delivery to your customers.

4. Your plan should provide practical ways toprotect your workers. This aspect willinclude medical care, promotion of personalhygiene habits, and changing the work

organization to minimize human-to-humancontact (See CHECKPOINTS 3&4).

WAYS TO PROMOTE COOPERATIONInvolve workers in all the steps of thedevelopment of the company preparedness planand invite their opinions for developingworkable plans. The finalized plan would bea real joint product, and both managers andemployees would share the sense of ownershipof the company plan. This would be thefundamental basis for effective implementationwhen the Pandemic takes place.

SOME MORE HINTS1. The preparedness plan does not need to be

long and perfect. Develop a concise draftplan first, and revise it step-by-stepwhenever you have received the updatedinformation and new ideas.

2. Use the Occupational Safety and HealthCommittee as a practical means to keepupdating the plan. Your safety officers willplay key roles to keep collecting updatedinformation and making the existing planstronger.

3. Collect and learn from preparedness plansfrom other companies. You can also shareyour company plans to help others.

CHECKPOINT 2Develop a company preparedness plan for Pandemic Human Influenza

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POINTS TO REMEMBER

Commitment of the top management ismost important to protect business andworkers.

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Figure 2.1 Gather views and ideas from workers, supervisors and managers to develop a practicalpreparedness plan. This would promote everyone’s cooperation for effective implementation of yourpreparedness plan.

Figure 2.2 Your preparedness plan can cover all key aspects to keep your business running andprotect your workers under Pandemic conditions including medical care, staff allocation, layoutchanges, cash stock, supply of raw materials, etc.

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BENEFITS FOR SMALL ENTERPRISESPandemic Human Influenza is transmittedhuman to human. Infection risks can be lowerif you reduce direct human-to-human contactand keep appropriate distance from other staff.Workers’ anxiety about contracting the diseasewould decrease, too.

There are many practical, low-cost measuresthat can avoid or minimize human-to-humancontact. There measures are called “socialdistancing”, meaning reduced contacts. Yourcompany can continue doing necessary work byusing these measures during the Pandemic.

HOW TO IMPROVE1. Tell your workers who have a cough, fever,

sneezing, headache and other flu symptomsnot to come to work.

2. Each workstation can keep an appropriatedistance from each other. 1.50 m or more isdesirable (Figure 3.1).

3. Promote one-way use of staircases and pathsas much as possible to reduce human-to-human contact (Figure 3.2).

4. Place transparent screens at the receptionand other areas where many people comeand talk (Figure 3.3).

5. Close canteens and pantries where manypeople gather. Instead, your company shouldprovide boxed food and bottled drinkingwater for all staff. The food and water are tobe placed in a big room. The staff come tothe room one-by-one to take the food andwater.

6. Staff who can do their work at home shouldstay at home. They can communicate withthe company by phone or internet.

7. Organize telephone or internet meetingsinstead of face-to-face meetings.

8. Frequently clean and disinfect door knobs,water taps, switches, copiers and other items

which many people touch constantly(Figure 3.4). Mail pigeon holes, tables inresting corners, meeting rooms, toilet roomscan be other high risk points.

WAYS TO PROMOTE COOPERATIONInvite and listen to workers’ ideas minimizinghuman-to-human contact to reduce infectionrisks at the workplace. They should havemany ideas since they are familiar with theirworkplace and work procedures. The con-sultation procedures would strengthencooperation between workers and employersand ensure effective implementation of yourcompany measures under the Pandemic.

SOME MORE HINTS1. Provide safer transportation means for

company staff. Use company vehicles ifavailable.

2. Cleaning staff might be at higher infectionrisks. Train them on how to protectthemselves. Provide protective caps, masks,rubber gloves, aprons, and boots.

3. When the Pandemic is heavy and infectionrisks are high, some staff will have to stay inthe company for long periods without goingoutside in order to keep doing minimal,essential work. Prepare rooms for them tostay with food, beds and other necessities.

4. Letters and materials delivered from outsidemight be contaminated with the virus. Theymust be kept in designated quarantinecontainers for at least 48 hours before staffopen them.

CHECKPOINT 3Reduce human-to-human contact at the workplace

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POINTS TO REMEMBER

There are many low-cost, practical ways tominimize human-to-human contact at theworkplace and lower infection risks.

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1.50 m

Figure 3.1 Each workstation should keep around 1.50 m between each other.

Figure 3.2 One-way staircases and passageways can reduce direct human-to-human contact.

Figure 3.4 Clean and disinfect floors, water taps,door knobs as frequently as possible. They can besources of infection since many people use themeveryday. Train cleaners to protect themselves.

Figure 3.3 Receptionists meet many people day-by-day. Use transparent screens to avoid directhuman-to-human contact and reduce infectionrisks.

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BENEFITS FOR SMALL ENTERPRISESThe Pandemic Human Influenza virustransmits from human to human. Coughingand sneezing spread the virus from infectedpersons. You may inhale small particles comingfrom the cough and be infected. The virus canalso attach to someone’s hands and stay there.These contaminated hands can be sources ofspreading the virus through hand shaking, etc.The virus can also stay on the surface of yourtables, cups, door knobs and infect you. This iswhy ensuring good personal hygiene habits isimportant to reduce infection opportunities.

Once again, success depends very much on thetop management’s leadership and cooperationwith your workers. The management andworkers’ representatives need to show and keepgood hygiene practices to convince all otherstaff in your company.

HOW TO IMPROVE1. Establish a company practice that everyone

washes their hands carefully as frequently aspossible (Figure 4.1). Clean palms, fingers,wrists, and backs of both hands by usingsoap. Display posters.

2. Allow workers to use a mask in the work-place and also when they are outside. Wearit appropriately (Figure 4.2). A surgical maskthat physicians use would be better. Ifunavailable, a cloth mask would work tosome extent.

3. Select a mask that can fit your face. Spacebetween the mask and your face causes airleakage and lowers the effectiveness of themask.

4. Cover your mouth and nose with a hand-kerchief when you cough or sneeze. We callthis “Coughing etiquette”. This wouldreduce the spread of the virus. Wash yourhands after coughing and sneezing.

5. If there is no handkerchief, sneeze or coughinto your elbow (Figure 4.4) and not yourhand. This will spread less germ.

WAYS TO PROMOTE COOPERATIONDiscuss with your workers ways to establishpersonal hygiene habits as your companyculture. Find workers who practice goodpersonal hygiene habits and learn from themhow to keep this personal behaviour. Sharethis information with other workers. Promotethese personal hygiene measures step-by-step.If more workers join, infection risks in yourcompany will be smaller.

SOME MORE HINTS1. Top management and workers’ repre-

sentatives should show models of goodpractice to convince other staff. It is vitalhere to make available the important utilitieslike soap, sinks, waste bins, and educationmaterials.

2. Increase the number of hand washing sinkswith soap near the workplace for easy-accessby all workers. Provide adequate masks forworkers, too.

3. Train workers how to wash their hands andwear masks appropriately.

4. Put used masks into a designated rubbishbin. Don’t keep used masks in the workplace.

5. Discuss ways to promote personal hygienebehaviour in the safety and health com-mittee. The committee should monitorprogress regularly.

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POINTS TO REMEMBER

Personal hygiene habits like hand washingreduce the risks of Pandemic HumanInfluenza infection in the workplace andalso at home.

CHECKPOINT 4Promote personal hygiene habits

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Figure 4.4 If there is no handkerchief,sneeze or cough into your elbow and notyour hand. This will spread less germ.

Figure 4.2 Use masks under a pandemic situation when appropriate. N95 mask (left) is most effective,however a simpler surgical mask (right) is also useful. The mask should fit your face and there shouldbe no air leakage between your face and the mask.

Figure 4.3 Open windows to increase ventilation.Fresh air-flow reduces infection risks.

Figure 4.1 Establish a company practice thateveryone washes their hands carefully. Cleanpalms, fingers, wrists, and backs of both hands byusing soap.

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BENEFITS FOR SMALL ENTERPRISESSome of your workers might get infected withPandemic Human Influenza. The workers andtheir families who stay at home need yourcompany support and encouragement. Evena short call, “How are you?” would please them.Your workers are important resources in yourbusiness at present and for the future. Theywant to come back to your company and workwith you after their recovery.

Sick workers and their families might facedifficulties if their fight against the diseasebecomes long. Their food stocks, drinkingwater, and cash might be already used up. Theywould much appreciate your available materialsupport and also moral support.

HOW TO IMRPOVE1. Regularly contact sick workers or their

families by phone (Figure 5.1) or by internet(if available). Give them official sick leave.Listen to their needs in terms of treatment,or necessary materials carefully. Provideinformation on referral to hospitals, feverclinics.

2. You must collect updated information onthe disease treatment or financial support forit. Communicate useful information to sickworkers and their families.

3. Provide psychological support to sickworkers and their families. Listen to theirtalk even if the talk is long. They will feelcomfortable when someone like you canlisten to them.

WAYS TO PROMOTE COOPERATIONDiscuss with your workers possible supportmeasures for sick workers. Phone calls andsending a letter with everyone’s name would beencouraging to sick workers and their families

under serious Pandemic. Before a Pandemic, thecompany can establish an emergency fundscheme to help staff in need and provide thisfinancial support for sick workers.

SOME MORE HINTS1. Before a Pandemic, advise your workers to

prepare themselves for a Pandemic. Workersand their families should have sufficientstocks of cash, food, water, soap and othernecessities (Figure 5.2).

2. Before a Pandemic, everybody should haveflu vaccinations, although Flu vaccinationsdo not prevent Pandemic Influenza.However, people who have Flu vaccinationsmay avoid being misdiagnosed withPandemic Influenza since they are notinfected with Flu.

3. Some workers may want to go back to theirhome towns. Provide appropriate advice tothem since the Pandemic situation might beeven more serious in their home provinces.

4. Foreign, migrant workers may be workingin your company. Provide sufficient infor-mation and support to them. Listen to theirspecial needs carefully and discuss solutions.

CHECKPOINT 5Support sick workers and their families staying at home

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Keep in contact with sick workers or theirfamilies and provide possible material andpsychological support.

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Figure 5.2 Stand-by workers and their families at home need sufficient stocks of cash, food, drinkingwater, soap, and other necessary materials. Their company support is important if they need to stay athome long.

Figure 5.1 Keep in contact with sick workers and their families and provide necessary companyassistance. Your regular contact would also provide moral support to them.

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Annex 1Information sources

Bureau of Emerging Infectious DiseasesDepartment of Disease ControlMinistry of Public HealthFloor 4, Building 8, Tiwanond RoadNonthaburi Province 11000Tel: 02 590 3275Website: http://beid.ddc.moph.go.th

Influenza Foundation Thailand (IFT)630 National Housing Soi 23Navamin Road, Khlongchan, BangkapiBangkok 10240Tel: 02 703 2978Website: http://www.ift2004.org

Ministry of LabourMitmaitree Road, DindaengBangkok 10400Tel: 02 232 1421-2Website: http://www.mol.go.th

Office of the WHO Representative to Thailandc/o Ministry of Public HealthTiwanond Road, MuangNonthaburi 11000Tel: 02 590 1524Website: http://w3.whothai.org/en/index.htm

United Nations System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC)Asia-Pacific Regional HubUN OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the PacificExecutive Suite, 2nd Floor, UNCC BuildingRajdamnern Nok AvenueBangkok 10200Tel: 02 288 1234Website: http://www.influenza.undg.org, http://un-influenza.org

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Protecting Your Employees and Business from PandemicHuman InfluenzaAction manual for small and medium-sized enterprises

The outbreak of avian influenza and the ongoing incidences of infected cases haveprompted worldwide concern. This training manual is developed to promote safepractices in small and medium-sized enterprises. The manual is user-friendly andpractical, providing an Action Checklist on various prevention measures includingexplanations and descriptions. The unique participatory training methods of the ILO,Work Improvement in Small Enterprises (WISE) and Work Improvements inNeighbourhood Development (WIND), were used to promote understanding andencourage improvement in the actions of employers and workers in small andmedium-sized enterprises.

Contact Information:

ILO Subregional Office for East AsiaUnited Nations Building, 10th FloorRajdamnern Nok AvenueBangkok 10200, ThailandTel: +662 288 1234Fax: +662 288 3058Email: [email protected]/asia

ISBN: 9789221219491