Pandemic Influenza, Essay Example

The workplace policy fails to consider the possibility of a flue pandemic occurring. The workplace is laden with numerous plausible high risk areas that may potentially cause a severe impact on the employees in the case of a flu pandemic outbreak. The following is an outline on recommendations that may increase safety in the case where there is a flue pandemic.

• Create a sick leave policy that will not penalize any employee who fails to show up at work as a result of identified symptoms. This will encourage early detection and isolation.
• Identify and mitigate the plausible health risk exposures to the employees.
• Ensure all employees receive the seasonal influenza vaccine.
• Stockpile on respirators.
• Reduce employee contact with the public.
• Prepare a plan to downsize the workforce during the pandemic to reduce risk of exposure.
• Develop and implement policies that will ensure a safety zone for all employees during the outbreak.
• Train and educate employees on techniques to reduce risk to exposure to the flu.
• Ensure all employees are insured by a health insurance cover.

The role of the employee in the workplace in the event of a pandemic includes the following.

Observing health safety precautions such as cleaning one’s hands and avoiding touching surfaces that may carry the infection.

• Regularly oneself for symptoms of the flu.
• Protect other employees from exposure to the flu if one discovers they possess the symptoms.

Surveillance

Virological Surveillance: this entails the use of the 85 WHO Collaborating Laboratories and the 60 NREVSS laboratories. They are used to collect, test and report positive identification of the different influenza strains from samples collected. This reports is forwarded to the CDC.

Outpatient Illness Surveillance: this entails the collection and forwarding of all patient records found to be positive with the different strains of influenza to the CDC from the different health facilities.

Mortality Surveillance: this is the rapid surveillance of influenza-related deaths within the country.

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Overview of Influenza Surveillance in the United States.” 17 October 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Internet Source. 18 April 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/overview.htm>.

U.S. Department of Labor. “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic.” 3 January 2014. United States Department of Labor. Internet Source. 18 April 2014. <https://www.osha.gov/Publications/influenza_pandemic.html#maintain_operations>.