Work in the Time of Influenza

Want to avoid implementing that emergency pandemic plan? Whether we’re facing H1N1 or the usual flu bugs, it’s time to make disease prevention a core office policy

Dec 1, 2009  

Without a healthy workforce, there cannot be a healthy economy.

It’s simple logic.

But keeping disease-causing viruses out of the workplace can be a challenge, especially in the face of the H1N1 influenza pandemic. The virus first appeared in Mexico last March, and by October the World Health Organization had recorded more than 378,000 cases and at least 4,500 deaths worldwide. How bad could it get in Canada? No one knows. But if history is any guide, it could cause tremendous human suffering and staggering economic costs around the world. In the past century, three influenza pandemics occurred: the Spanish influenza of 1918 killed 40 to 50 million people, the Asian influenza of 1957 killed at least two million and 1968’s Hong Kong influenza killed approximately one million.

That still doesn’t mean we should hit the panic button. What it does mean is every business should have a plan in the event an outbreak affects a significant number of employees. But there’s more to it than that. A key part of that plan is prevention. Despite the ease of transmission of a virus like H1N1, there are steps employers can and should take to minimize the impact and severity of it or any other virus that makes the rounds this cold and flu season. Such measures are not only smart for business, they’re also the law. According to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers must ensure, as far as “reasonably practicable,” the health and safety of all workers.

So, here’s how you do that.

Risk Assessment
Without a risk analysis, the economic impact of pandemic influenza may be far worse than necessary. In a report for the World Bank, economist Milan Brahmbhatt warns that infectious disease outbreaks can create severe economic disruptions even when there is, ultimately, relatively little illness or death.

“Such disruptions are commonly the result of unco-ordinated and panicky efforts by individuals to avoid becoming infected,” he writes. He points to the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak as proof. Though it killed fewer than 1,000 people worldwide – less than seasonal flu viruses do – the fear it caused led to a roughly 2% drop in East Asian regional GDP in the second quarter of 2003. Brahmbhatt notes that a 2% loss of global GDP would represent an annual drop of $800 billion. “And it is fair to assume the immediate shock during a flu epidemic could be even larger than in SARS.”

The Best Practice Guideline for Workplace Health & Safety During Pandemic Influenza, released in May 2009 by the Government of Alberta, could help lessen that impact. Karlene Johner, effective practice specialist with Alberta Employment and Immigration and one of the document’s primary authors, says it “helps people assess their exposure in the workplace, determine their risk and see the things to think about, the things they may need to change.”

Using “hazard assessment templates,” the guideline helps employers determine the risks associated with each position in their companies. Are employees in close contact with the public throughout the day? Are employees fairly insulated, working mainly on their own or in small groups? Once the level of risk is determined, employers can begin to minimize the risk of widespread infection.

Spreading the Message
According to Johner, open communication and accurate information are crucial in limiting the spread and minimizing the social and economic costs of pandemic influenza. Even if no one in the workplace is currently showing symptoms, it’s not too early to be informed and prepared.

“We’re in a pandemic now,” Johner says. “Hazard assessment and control is required in the workplace. To have a healthy and safe workplace, it should be ongoing.”

Everyone in the office should understand how virus transmission occurs. The chain of infection includes an infected person; transmission through a sneeze, viruses on a keyboard or passed along in a handshake; and the person who receives the virus, through the mouth, nose or eyes. Influenza viruses can be propelled by cough or sneeze up to two metres through the air. They can live on hard surfaces for up to two days, on soft surfaces like cloth, tissue and paper for as many as 12 hours and on skin for five minutes.

Whether through memos, seminars, emails or one-on-one meetings, everyone in the workplace should have at least a basic understanding of disease, how it is spread and how transmission can be prevented.

Eliminating Guesswork
Johner says some of the most effective ways to control pandemic influenza are methods that don’t involve the staff making decisions. She refers to these as engineering controls. “By isolating the hazard or adding physical barriers, no one has to make a decision.”

Because a virus can travel with a sneeze or cough, it’s worth reducing close contact between people in the workplace. Creating a buffer zone in your customer service area by strategically positioning furniture keeps potentially infected customers from getting too close to employees. Even moving employees’ desks at least two metres apart can help. Meetings should operate the same way.

Also, adequate ventilation through building systems will ensure a flow of fresh, non-contaminated air through the building. Check air filters and ensure the system is working properly.

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