September 29, 2006—As the cold and flu season approaches and as concerns about avian flu rise, workplace preparedness is lagging behind, according to a survey from Kimberly-Clark Professional.
Seventy percent of respondents said they believed avian flu was likely to hit North America, but only 25 percent responded “yes” when asked, “Has your company engaged in building a plan in the event of an actual outbreak of the avian flu?” Forty percent expressed concern about an avian flu outbreak in their workplace.
Respondents were given a list of possible actions employers could take to minimize workplace risk associated with avian flu outbreak and were asked to give their opinion as either in “favor” or “opposed.” Posting respiratory etiquette and hand-washing posters or stickers garnered the most positive responses, with 93 percent of respondents saying they favored posting these in common areas.
Other favored actions include training workers in the use of protective equipment; storing masks, gloves and other protective equipment in bulk; and establishing a workplace continuity plan.
The national, online survey was conducted in May and polled employees in health care, science, manufacturing, office buildings, lodging and other industries. Kimberly-Clark Professional issued the voluntary, nonrandom survey using its own industry e-newsletter and received 379 responses.
To help its customers maintain business continuity in the event of an avian flu pandemic, Kimberly-Clark Professional has developed a wealth of resources and information, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers, downloadable posters, business continuity and preparedness information, pamphlets and other materials. For more information, see the Web site.
