Swine Flu - Advice and Guidance on local infection control

Latest advice from our Occupational Health Service

1. Practising scrupulous personal hygiene as the best way of reducing personal risk cannot be over-emphasised. 
i)   Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing. Do not use your hand. Use a tissue,
     handkerchief or even your sleeve rather than your hand.
ii) Dispose of used tissues as soon as possible in the nearest waste receptacle.
iii) Wash or clean hands thoroughly at the following times:
     Whenever hands are dirty;
     Before, during and after food preparation plus prior to eating;
     After using the toilet;
     After sneezing or coughing;
    After touching the nose or mouth.
As a guide for what is thorough, sing 'Happy Birthday to You' 3 times - to yourself, not out loud!

Also,  The College Health and Safety officer has been issuing staff with pocket sized containers of hand sanitizing gel to encourage getting into the habit of personal infection control.  Contact Tom McCartney to get yours!

2.  Practise infection control on hard surfaces within your office on a daily basis - desks/door knobs/ keyboards/ mice/telephones - the virus can live up to 24 hours on these so make arrangements with colleagues in shared offices. reasonable expenses for ‘Dettol’ antibacterial spray for example can be claimed back on petty cash. 

3.  When travelling to work or otherwise in common areas, try to move at least 1 metre away from any coughing    individuals.

4.  For staff who travel abroad - avoid travelling to countries poorly equipped to deal with pandemics unless absolutely essential.
5.  Stay up-to-date with info on reliable websites daily e.g. HPA, BBC & Birkbeck.