November is National Flu Awareness Month

Send sick employees home

Review your sick leave/absence policy to ensure that it does not punish employees for being sick. Employees who feel that they will be disciplined will have strong incentives to show up for work no matter how sick they are.

Stress preventive measures

• Make certain restrooms are properly stocked witgh soap, paper towels, etc.
• The best preventive measure is to wash hands with soap and water often!
• Be creative – have a contest for employees to design postgers for flu bug prevention.
• Provide sanitizers and tissus in common areas.
• Make certain the janitorial crew regularly sanitizes the phone, computers, door knobs, etc.

In case of serious flu outbreak

• Minimize face to face meetings
• Consider telecommuting as an option
• Temporarily suspend the customary greetings of handshaking and/or hugging

Flu symptoms include fever — usually high — headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches.

Handwashing Saves Lives:
Did you know that the very simple activity of frequent handwashing has the potential to save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention2-4?  It is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, which cause more than 3.5 million deaths worldwide in children under the age of 5 every year5. Although people around the world clean their hands with water, very few use soap to wash their hands.

In 2010, Global Handwashing Day was recognized in the following ways:

In China, approximately 30,000 children in >600 schools participated in week-long activities including educational lessons, handwashing demonstrations, drawing and essay competitions, and speeches about handwashing.

• In Burkina Faso, 48 handwashing stations were constructed using recycled materials and installed throughout 2 rural communities. Community members were educated about handwashing technique and key times to wash hands.
• In Hungary, children in 280 schools participated in handwashing-related drama, songs, soap making, and a handwashing rap contest.
• In Iraq, approximately 30,000 school children learned about handwashing-related health benefits and handwashing technique.
• In Peru, the Ministry of Education mandated schools' participation in Global Handwashing Day activities; they anticipated 10,000 schools would celebrate.

When should you wash your hands?

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
• After touching garbage

What is the right way to wash your hands?

• Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
• Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.

Washing hands with soap and water

is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them. If soap and water  are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

Hand sanitizers are not effective when hands are visibly dirty.

How should you use hand sanitizer?

• Apply the product to the palm of one hand.
• Rub your hands together.
• Rub the product over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry.