UK urged to prepare for swine flu outbreak

Current position

Governments around the world are working hard to contain the spread of the swine flu virus after outbreaks were reported in Mexico, the US and Canada. Although at the end of April there are only a few reported cases in the UK, all UK businesses are being urged by the Government's Health Protection Agency to prepare for a full swine flu pandemic.

Simple tips for spread prevention

There are some very simple tips which employers can follow to help prevent the spread of swine flu, which amount to general infection control practices in their workplaces. Employers should encourage their staff to:

• wash their hands frequently with soap and water
• use hand sanitisers
• use tissues when sneezing and coughing and dispose of them immediately after use
• keep hard surfaces clean at all times

How can we help?

Nationwide offers an extensive range of anti-bacterial soaps, hand sanistisers and hard surface cleaning products which can greatly help with securing effective infection control in your workplace.

Antibacterial soaps

Regular and thorough washing of hands with soap and water still remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection. Anti-bactrial soaps, containing specific agents designed to target and eradicate bacteria, provide enhanced effectiveness. Nationwide offers a full range of anti-bacterial soaps from all the leading soap manufacturers. Click here or on the image to the left to display a full selection.

Hand sanitisers

Hand sanistisers are also an effective means of general infection control. Ideal for use outside the washroom to complement normal hand washing, sanitisers provide hand hygiene at the point where you need it most and without the need for water. We recommend the InstantFoam hand sanitiser range from Deb the world’s leading away from home skin care company. Why not place a personal hand sanitiser pack on every desk and encourage frequent use?

Hard surface cleaners

Maintaining good cleaning practices for all hard surfaces where there is hand contact, such as door handles, desktops, computer keyboards, and so on is vital for infection control. We stock many hard surface cleaners both general purpose and application specific. A full listing of these is presented in our hard surface cleaners section of the website. Please contact us if you require specific help or guidance.

Want more information?

You can find out more about swine fever itself and the governmental responses worldwide on the World Health Organisation website.

For a comprhensive list of questions and answers regarding symptoms, what to do if you think one of your employees has swine flu and so on refer to the Health Protection Agency website.