New working measures urged to halt swine flu

EMPLOYERS ARE being urged to consider radical new working arrangements to combat the spread of swine flu in workplaces.

Experts predict up to one in three workers may become infected with the virus as winter approaches and have also warned delivery of the vaccine may be slower than expected.

At a seminar in Dublin yesterday hosted by occupational healthcare company Medmark, some 200 major employers were advised by speakers from the HSE, Medmark and the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (Ibec) to consider a range of new “social distancing” work arrangements in addition to implementing strict hygiene practices.

Dr Paul Gueret, dean of occupational health at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and a director of Medmark, said they were not seeking to “panic” employers, but they needed to be made aware of the potential impact of swine flu on their productivity over the coming months.

The seminar was told up to 30 per cent of workers could contract the virus, involving some 15 per cent of employees being out sick at the same time. The combination of rigorous hygiene and reduced face-to-face contact at work could assist in combating the risk, speakers outlined.

With the numbers infected expected to rise as winter advances, employers were asked to consider reducing the need for face-to-face meetings and implementing working from home options and staggered shifts.

Other proposals include cancelling non-essential training sessions, spreading out lunch periods and avoiding mass gatherings of employees as in smoking areas.

The initiative comes as more than 800 swine flu cases have been confirmed here with 80 per cent of those affecting people under 35. Two people have died.

The vast majority of those who contract the virus, now designated Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, experience mild flu-like illness requiring bed rest, fluids and paracetamol. About 10 per cent require hospital treatment with most recovering.

The HSE is redeploying some 1,000 staff to administer the swine flu vaccine with roll-out expected to begin from mid-October at 60 vaccination centres. Some 7.7 million doses of the vaccine have been ordered with some 30,000 received to date.

Dr Kevin Kelleher of the HSE said it was hoped the vaccine could be administered within hours, minimising the number of days lost.

As each vaccine has to be individually drawn up and may only be administered at the designated centres, a “worst case” scenario could involve employees being out of work over one to two days to complete vaccination.