In the event of a Flu pandemic or localized epidemic, FOX Corporation will take appropriate measures to ensure employee protection.
1.0 SCOPE
This procedure identifies actions that employees should take to minimize risk of contracting or spreading influenza, including avian, swine and/ or
pandemic influenza if and when an outbreak occurs.
2.0 Definitions
Influenza
(flu):
a viral illness that is continuously present in the human population, and may also affect animals. Illnesses like the flu (influenza) and colds are caused
by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu and colds usually spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes, by
airborne transmission; infection is less easily spread via fomites.
Epidemic
: a disease that is widely present in a specific area or population at the same time.
Pandemic
: a disease that is widely present over the whole world at the same time.
Airborne transmission
: mechanism of disease spread via tiny droplets of secretions from the upper airways, or by an aerosol of germs directly suspended in the air; usually
caused by sneezing or coughing.
Fomites
: Infectious secretions on inanimate objects such as money, doorknobs, telephones, keyboards, eating utensils and dishes, etc.
3.0 Responsibilities
In addition to required Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Program responsibilities discussed in EHS001, EHS Policy, the responsibilities described
below are necessary to ensure the effectiveness of this procedure.
3.1 Management
Managers will be responsible for assuring that all employees are aware of the existence and contents of this policy, as the business and personal
consequences of a severe influenza pandemic or epidemic may be disastrous. Decisions as to prioritizing resources such as vaccines and antiviral
medications, as well as obtaining and distributing protective gear such as masks, and planning for business disruption is also management responsibility
(see attached CDC Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist).
3.2 Employees
All employees are responsible for understanding how to protect themselves from flu infection, how to identify early signs of the flu, what steps to take to
obtain appropriate medical evaluation and treatment, and how to prevent further transmission of flu to others. Each employee should review the list of
activities below, and recommended steps for each, to plan his or her own measure to meet these objectives.
3.3 Environmental Health and Safety Department
The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Department will publish and periodically review and revise this policy.
4.0 Procedure
Except for immunization, all procedures listed are intended for activation only in the event that epidemic or pandemic influenza is an actual risk for
employees in a given location or for a specific work function.
4.1 Prevention
4.1.1 Immunization
All employees are recommended to be vaccinated against influenza for the current year’s strain by U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocols, if
medically able. This will offer very good protections against ordinary flu, which can be a moderately serious illness itself and confers high risk to
everyone every year; it is unlikely that this would provide protection against avian and swine flu as well. If a vaccine is developed against avian and
swine flu (this is not expected for at least 2-3 years), CDC recommendations should be followed for that procedure. Encouraging vaccination of employees’
personal contacts (including family and other close contacts as well as business contacts) is recommended.
4.1.2 Personal hygiene
Although less important than airborne transmission, disease transmission by inanimate objects is possible, so careful attention to hand washing is
recommended; for those situations where this is not possible, antiseptic hand wipes or gels may be used, although less effective. Hands should always be
cleansed before and after eating or drinking or smoking or otherwise touching the face. As well as before and after using the bathroom, coughing or
sneezing. The mouth should be covered when coughing or sneezing, preferably into a disposable tissue; if unable the next best method is into the crook of
one’s own elbow, to avoid contamination of the hands; but as a last resort the hands should be used to prevent broadcasting airborne droplets for many feet
around. When coughing or sneezing the mouth should be directed away from others and downwind if outdoors or in an airflow.
4.1.3 Social Distancing
Unnecessary contact with others is discouraged. When necessary, pay attention to avoiding those who are coughing or sneezing, and avoid personal contact
such as shaking hands, hugging or kissing. Highest risk would be close contact with a person who appears ill who is coughing or sneezing, in a close area
such as an elevator or airplane seat, or in close conversation. Other high-risk activities would include large public gatherings, where the sheer numbers
of people raise the likelihood of a contagious person being present.
4.1.4 Business activities
Casual office contacts can be managed by assuring that ill employees do not come to work; and that careful attention is paid to hygiene. Unavoidable close
contact with individuals who may be infectious (such as media interviews etc.) may require the use of personal protective equipment in addition to the
usual hygiene procedures.
4.2 Personal disease surveillance
To minimize transmission of disease, all employees must be on guard for symptoms of influenza in themselves and others. If symptoms appear, immediate
measures must be taken to prevent spread of possible contagion by removal from the workplace. Waiting for definite diagnosis cannot be undertaken, as the
disease is contagious before this can be confirmed.
4.3 Personal Protective Equipment
4.3.1 Respiratory Protection
The use of personal protective equipment is usually a last resort after other controls are inadequate to keep risks low; however, if a serious epidemic or
pandemic were to arise, many situations may justify such use, including crowded conditions and public gatherings. The use of respirators is recommended by
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) currently for higher risk situations, although others including the CDC recommend the use of
simpler and much more comfortable surgical masks. The overall recommendation here is to avoid situations that would engender such risk of exposure; but if
encountered then a respirator should be worn. If available, and for short periods, surgical masks are believed to be effective. The EHS Department must be
contacted for guidance prior to the use of any form of respiratory protection. The EHS Department can be reached at 310.369.2671 or via email at
fngsafety@fox.com.
The use of protective gloves may be needed in situations where touching contaminated surfaces (e.g. at large public gatherings or in health care settings)
is unavoidable and hand washing is not possible; but attention must be paid to avoid cross-contamination from the gloves to one’s self, personal items or
previously clean objects. In crowded conditions, an overgarment that can be cleaned or discarded may be advisable.
4.4 Medical evaluation and treatment
Employees who exhibit early symptoms of influenza-like illness must first remove themselves from the workplace, and then contact their health-care
providers for further advice. Depending on management decisions, consideration may be given to arranging for special evaluation and treatment of critical
employees without whom the business cannot run for a period of weeks; including the possibility of antiviral medication that will be in very short supply.
4.5 Return to work
Before return to work following recovery from influenza, employees will need to have both recovered adequately to allow safe and effective work, and also
to have passed the contagious period, which will need to be determined by the facts of such an outbreak; a health provider’s note should be required. Once
recovered from definite epidemic influenza such individuals will have special value as they will be immune to re-infection.
5.0 REFERENCES
EHS 001, EHS Policy
U.S. government website on Pandemic Flu: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab4.html
(Stopping the spread of germs): http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/work.htm
Up-to-date status of several influenza strains: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/
OSHA website on avian influenza: http://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/pandemicflu/index.html
World Health Organization website on avian influenza: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/
World Health Organization website on swine influenza: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
6.0 ATTACHMENTS
CDC Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist