Businesses have been urged to start taking precautions against the spread of swine flu, including limiting non-essential travel to infected areas, getting clearances for employees thought to be a risk, and beefing up hygiene policies.
The swine flu pandemic has finally hit Australian shores, with 111 Australians being tested for signs of the swine flu virus, which is suspected to have killed more than 150 people in Mexico, where the virus originated.
A search is also underway for 22 Australians after it was revealed they were on the same international flight as three New Zealanders who have the virus.
Currently eight countries have confirmed swine flu cases within their borders, including Spain, Britain, Canada and New Zealand – where three high school students have been diagnosed after travelling to Mexico.
The World Health Organisation has also raised the level of its influenza pandemic alert from three to four – the first rise since 2005. The alert ratings only go to six. Australians have also been urged to reconsider travel Mexico and other affected countries.
Michael Tooma, partner at law firm Deacons, says Australian employers need to act quickly to protect their business from swine flu.
“There is an urgent need to regulate and limit non-essential business travel to known infected areas. We now know there are known cases as close as New Zealand. There needs to be monitoring of people who have gone to affected areas, even on a personal basis,” Tooma says.
“The focus here is making sure you gain clearances for the employees concerned before they return to work to minimise the risk of contamination. There are also very basic things that employers can and should do – focus on hygiene in the workplace and make sure people are made aware in a measured and informed way.”
Tooma suggests employers should maintain contact with their employees through staff meetings and emails, and should point them to credible scientific sources for information.
“The worst thing that people can do is spread alarm amongst the workforce. The key thing is to be informative and upfront,” he says.
“An information session for those employees who have intranets, perhaps a section with credible information regularly updated is a good idea. Just so people’s concerns can be alleviated and any emergency planning can be treated appropriately, should the situation require such an escalation.”
Meanwhile, Australian health authorities have been given new powers to help contain suspected carries of the disease, while tests continue at the World Health Organisation laboratory in Melbourne.
Minister for Health Nicola Roxon said that test results of the 111 Australians suspected of carrying the disease should be known in the next few days, and that they have been isolated for health reasons.
“We now know that they have been on a plane with people who have the disease. It is a sensible precautionary step for us to take,” Roxon said today.
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Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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