Flu Decontamination

MD Building Services now sells PurellŪ instant hand sanitizer, which kills 99.99% of most common germs that may cause disease, including E. coli, Staphylococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., and Salmonella sp. With H1N1 a growing concern, keep your office stocked with Purell products, and heed the flu prevention tips offered below:

Flu Prevention Tips

  1. Sick Persons should stay home
    • Advise workers to be alert to any signs of fever and any other signs of influenza-like illness before reporting to work each day, and notify their supervisor and stay home if they are ill. Employees who are ill should not travel while they are ill.
    • CDC recommends that employees with influenza-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F or greater), or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications.

  2. Sick employees at work should be advised to go home
    • CDC recommends that workers who appear to have influenza-like illness upon arrival or become ill during the day be promptly separated from other workers and be advised to go home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F or greater), or signs of fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications.

  3. Cover coughs and sneezes
    • Influenza viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. Provide employees messages on the importance of covering coughs and sneezes with tissue or, in the absence of a tissue, one's sleeve. Place posters in the worksite that encourages cough and sneeze etiquette.
    • Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees.

  4. Improve hand hygiene
    • Influenza may be spread via contaminated hands. Instruct employees to wash their hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner, especially after coughing or sneezing. Place posters in the worksite that encourage hand hygiene.
    • Provide soap and water and alcohol-based sanitizers in the workplace. Ensure that adequate supplies are maintained. If feasible, place hand sanitizers in multiple locations or in conference rooms to encourage hand hygiene.

  5. Clean surfaces and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact
    • Frequently clean all commonly touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label.

  6. Encourage employees to get vaccinated
    • Encourage your employees to get vaccinated for seasonal influenza. For information on groups prioritized for seasonal influenza vaccines please, click here.
    • Encourage your employees also to get vaccinated for 2009 H1N1 influenza when vaccines are available to them. Different groups are prioritized for 2009 H1N1 influenza than for seasonal influenza. For information on groups prioritized for H1N1 influenza vaccines, click here.