Pandemic Influenza Guidance

During times if infectious outbreaks it’s imperative for facilities to mitigate the human and business risks of flu transmission. Vibraclean’s team of janitorial workers know what it takes to clean and disinfect your building.

Introduction

This pandemic influenza guidance is based upon traditional infection control and industrial hygiene practices. It is advisory in nature and informational in content. As a pandemic unfolds and more becomes known about the characteristics of the virus, disease transmissibility, and risks to different age groups and subpopulations, cleaning and disinfection protocols will need to respond accordingly.

What exactly is a pandemic?

A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population, begins to cause serious illness and then spreads easily person-to-person worldwide.

What is my responsibility as an employer?

Employers are obligated to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. An outbreak of Influenza is a recognized safety hazard. Cleaning and disinfection at the workplace is a reasonable expectation that facility managers must address.

Education

One of the best identified measures of controlling the spread of infection is education about good hygiene, cough etiquette, social distancing, the use of personal protective equipment, and staying home from work when ill.

How Influenza Can Spread Between People

Influenza is thought to be primarily spread through large droplets (droplet transmission) that directly contact the nose, mouth or eyes. These droplets are produced when infected people cough, sneeze or talk, sending the relatively large infectious droplets and very small sprays (aerosols) into the nearby air and into contact with other people. Large droplets can only travel a limited range; therefore, people should limit close contact (within 6 feet) with others when possible.

To a lesser degree, human influenza is spread by touching objects contaminated with influenza viruses and then transferring the infected material from the hands to the nose, mouth or eyes. Influenza may also be spread by very small infectious particles (aerosols) traveling in the air. The contribution of each route of exposure to influenza transmission may vary based upon the characteristics of the influenza strain.

	The placement of visual material throughout your facility can be an important strategy to educate about transmission and prevention.

What Organizations can do to Reduce the Risk of Exposure in the Workplace

The best strategy to reduce the risk of becoming infected with influenza during a pandemic is to avoid crowded settings and other situations that increase the risk of exposure to someone who may be infected. If it is absolutely necessary to be in a crowded setting, the time spent should be limited. Some basic hygiene and social distancing precautions that can be implemented in every workplace include the following:

• Encourage sick employees to stay at home.
• Encourage your employees to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or with hand sanitizer if there is no soap or water available. Also, encourage your employees to avoid touching their noses, mouths, and eyes.
• Encourage your employees to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or to cough and sneeze into their upper sleeves if tissues are not available. All employees should wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer after they cough, sneeze or blow their noses.
• Employees should avoid close contact with their coworkers and customers. They should avoid shaking hands and always wash their hands after contact with others. Even if employees wear gloves, they should wash their hands upon removal of the gloves in case their hand(s) became contaminated during the removal process.
• Provide customers and the public with tissues and trash receptacles, and with a place to wash or disinfect their hands.
• Provide sanitary wipes to all departments and encouraging employees to frequently sanitize surfaces that employees are in contact with. Emphasize sanitation of items that are used close to the face, such as telephones, hands-free microphones, and similar items.
• Place sanitizing wipes in company vehicles with reminders to wipe down steering wheels and gear shifters before and after use.
• Discourage your employees from using other employees’ phones, desks, offices or other work tools and equipment.
• Minimize situations where groups of people are crowded together, such as in a meeting. Use e-mail, phones and text messages to communicate with each other.
• Reducing or eliminating unnecessary social interactions can be very effective in controlling the spread of infectious diseases. Reconsider all situations that permit or require employees, customers, and visitors to enter the workplace.
• Promote healthy lifestyles, including good nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation. A person’s overall health impacts their body’s immune system and can affect their ability to fight off, or recover from, an infectious disease.

Influenza A virus can survive on hard, non-porous surfaces (e.g., stainless steel, hard plastic) for 24 – 48 hours and on porous materials (e.g., cloth, paper) for < 8 – 12 hours Virus persistence on surfaces increases up to 72 hours when those surfaces are moist or wet

Area-Specific Cleaning and Disinfection Practices

General Areas

As frequently as is practical, clean hard surfaces that are commonly touched by employees with a neutral detergent followed by a disinfectant solution or a combination cleaning/disinfection solution. Hard surfaces may include:

• Hand rails
• Door knobs/handles
• Elevator buttons
• Sinks and Faucets
• Counter tops
• Window Sills
• Light Switches
• Equipment controls
• Cabinet and file drawer knobs/handles
• Vending machines
• Chair arms
• Copier/printer/fax control buttons

In addition to the above measures, consider the following:

Dining Rooms & Cafeterias

• Place a sanitation station at the entrance to the dining facility. Require patrons to use the alcohol-based cleaner or sanitary wipe prior to entering the facility.
• Reduce patron concern by posting information summarizing the steps that the food service facility is taking, why, and what individuals can do to reduce flu transmission.
• Replace silverware with plastic wrapped, disposable eating utensils.
• Offer only food items that are individually packaged. Place buffet items behind a serving counter and assign cafeteria staff to serve the items rather than allowing self-serve.
• Suspend offering items that are not cooked and are not pre-packaged (e.g., salads, fruits, raw vegetables, uncooked sand-wiches, bakery items, and so forth)
• Place trays, cups, coffee mugs, plates, and other items normally openly accessible to patrons in a secure area. Ensure the cafeteria workers issuing these items are wearing rubber gloves and masks.
• Assign cafeteria personnel to continuously sanitize hard surfaces that are commonly touched by patrons.

Influenza viruses can be inactivated by many low- or intermediate level disinfectants containing any of the following ingredients: chlorine or hypochlorite, aldehydes, quaternary ammonium compounds [quats], phenolics, alcohols, peroxygen compounds Use of disinfectants registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recommended whenever these are available

 Commercial Kitchens/Food Preparation Areas

Train all kitchen staff on flu transmission and prevention measures.

• Require the use of rubber gloves, paper food service masks, smocks, and headgear by ALL food handlers at ALL times in the kitchen.
• Arrange for clothing worn by kitchen staff to be washed nightly.
• Frequently sanitize food preparation items (pots, pans, knives, cutting boards, and similar items). Soak implements in a bleach solution for 30 minutes. (1 cup [250 ml] or 5.25% unscented household bleach to 5 gallons (20 liters) of water).
• Ensure delivery of food items is monitored closely to ensure kitchen contamination does not occur. Alternatively, do not allow delivery personnel in the kitchen.
• Cutting boards that are pitted, cracked or otherwise in poor condition should be replaced.

Bathrooms

• Consider the installation of motion-sensor activated soap dispensers, toilet flushers, paper towel dispensers, and sink faucets.
• On all bathroom doors, place reminders of the importance of hand washing and attention to hygiene.
• Ensure all bathrooms are adequately stocked with sanitizing soap and hand towels. These will be depleted rapidly by employees and will require replenishing more often than normal.
• Frequently wipe down bathroom faucet knobs and fixtures.
• Increase the frequency of waste paper collection and disposal.

Often during a pandemic, the supply of necessary cleaning and disinfection depletes quickly. Ensure that you have sufficient supplies and have an alternative supplier chosen. Necessary items will include: Disinfectants,  Tissues,  Hand sanitizers, Rubber gloves,  Sanitizing wipes,  N95 facemasks

Supply Distribution

Provide antibacterial hand washing solutions such as hand sanitizers and sanitary wipes in all common areas, such as:

• Break rooms
• Meeting rooms
• Bathrooms
• Training rooms
• Lobbies
• Lunch rooms