Merseyside Commuters Squeal At Swine Flu

Health@Work surprised commuters at Moorfields Station in Liverpool City Centre last week with a stunt to raise awareness of Swine Flu.

Staff from the charity gathered at the station dressed in pig ears and pig snouts, handing out information to Liverpool workers on the dangers of Swine Flu and the precautions that should be taken.

A new wave of Swine Flu is expected to hit over the winter period and Health@Work want businesses and staff to be prepared.  The charity expects the pandemic to have a huge impact, with some businesses unable to operate due to staff illness.

Keith Gorman from Health@Work said: “Early morning workers were certainly amused and startled by the PR stunt, but while it was all in good fun, we want to bring attention to a serious issue.  Businesses need to be ready for this pandemic which could see their workforces cut by half or more.  We are advising companies to put systems in place to minimise the transfer of infection and have procedures in place to operate with severe staff shortages.”

Steps employers can take include encouraging proper hand hygiene amongst staff and considering organisational issues which could limit the spread of the infection.  Companies can take simple measures such as raising awareness of the symptoms of Swine Flu, promoting an environment where unwell employees can work from home and reducing the amount of direct meetings and social interactions to protect staff from possible infection.

Keith said: “This all may sound over the top, but someone infected with Swine Flu could expect to be off work for two to three weeks and Swine Flu is highly infectious.  Small firms in particular need to be prepared as even a few staff off ill at once could literally bring the company to a stand still.”

Health@Work is sending information packs to businesses on how to deal with the pandemic. However for more information call 0151 236 6608 or visit www.healthatworkcentre.org.uk

Download the leaflets from the Swine Flu News page here

Source:H@W

Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services