Tips to Help Protect Your Staff, Volunteers and Clients
Influenza is caused by a virus and is generally spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Undertaking infection control measures is one of the best ways to minimise infection spread. These simple, common sense practices will help you, your employees and volunteers reduce influenza infection.
Hand washing
- Adopt hygienic hand washing practices, particularly after coughing, sneezing or using tissues
- Keep hands away from the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth
- Ensure adequate supplies of hand hygiene products are available. This should be a high planning priority as there may be interruption to the supply or shortages of soap and disposable hand towels during a pandemic
- Consider installing conveniently located dispensers of alcohol-based hand rub
- Have a supply of tissues available and provide no-touch receptacles for used tissue disposal
- Provide soap and disposable towels for hand washing near sinks.
Coughing and sneezing
- Cover nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing (preferably with a disposable single use tissue)
- Dispose of tissues in the nearest waste receptacle after use. Do not store them in your pockets
- Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or touching used tissues.
Personal protective equipment
- Health authorities will provide guidance on appropriate equipment. The most commonly used equipment would be masks and protective barriers
- Disposable surgical masks worn by those who are ill will help prevent exposing others to respiratory secretions. Dispose of masks as soon as they become moist or after coughing or sneezing, and wash your hands thoroughly
- Keeping at least one metre apart from others will reduce the spread of the virus, as airborne particles do not generally carry beyond this distance
- Protective barriers such as perspex or glass may provide useful protection for people such as front counter staff, who have frequent face-to-face contact with members of the public where one metre separation is not practical.