“There has been a considerable increase over the last two weeks in the number of swine flu cases. We have one reported cluster of swine flu at a secondary school in Dingle this week, forcing its temporary closure. Smaller cluster outbreaks of swine flu have emerged in the Mid West region in some businesses and more are expected,” stated Dr Pat Lee of the Mid-West Occupational Health Service (MWOHS) as he addressed the IBEC HR Managers’ Forum held this week in Limerick.
According to Dr. Lee, “The H1N1 Pandemic Flu is unpredictable, as previous pandemics were. Nevertheless pandemics tend to occur in waves. This present pandemic spread faster than any previous pandemic – only six weeks elapsed between the initial cases in Mexico and the declaration of a Global Pandemic.
“The H1N1 Pandemic Flu is the main influenza virus circulating at present in Ireland. As we progress further in to the Autumn, it is likely that there will be co-circulating seasonal strains of Influenza, and over the next 3-6 months we can expect the second wave to progress as the “lull” prior to the normal flu season abates, resulting in large numbers of people with flu over a 12-16 week period.”
Dr Lee continued, “The present H1N1 Flu Pandemic Virus is likely to become the dominant Flu Virus for the next 3-4 years.”
“To date in Ireland 4 people have died from Pandemic H1N1 Flu, and currently 10 people are in Intensive Care Units in Irish Hospitals, because of it.”
Dr Lee discussed both workplace treatment and prevention methods including Business Continuity Plans and also the Seasonal and Pandemic Flu Vaccines. He advised that employees should avail of vaccinations in order to minimise death and illness, reduce hospital admissions and virus transmission, and maintain essential services.
On an optimistic note he said we are now better prepared than previous pandemics. We have developed antiviral treatment and can produce vaccines rapidly. We have been able to secure large numbers of these vaccines and treatments and our population is now much healthier than during previous pandemics.
Also speaking at the forum, IBEC Occupational Health and Safety Executive Mr Carl Anders stated, “Careful planning and preparation by employers should minimise the implications of an increase in the number of H1N1 cases over the coming months.”
The IBEC Mid-West regional office hosted the seminar on the topic in Limerick to advise employers on how to put in place plans to manage the issue in the workplace.
Mr Anders said, “IBEC is advising employers to prepare well and to assess the risks that could impact the normal functioning of their operations and supply chain. Business continuity plans should be drawn up to deal with the risks to productivity, service provision and cash flow, addressing both internal processes and the external supply chain. These should address how absence and illness will be managed and how general operations will be maintained with a reduced workforce.”
“At the core of this should be a central ‘pandemic co-ordinator’ to manage the organisations response and ensure that resources are redeployed, company procedures and policies clarified and up-to-date reliable information provided to help protect staff and reduce the impact on productivity and service levels,” he said.
Pictured are, Dr Pat Lee of the Mid West Occupational Health Service and Carl Anders, Occupational Health and Safety Executive IBEC
