Health, Safety and Environment

Pandemic Flu

21 February 2008

A flu pandemic is an epidemic of the flu virus that spreads on a worldwide scale and infects a large proportion of the human population. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published guidance on what to do in the event of a flu pandemic being declared within the UK.

Pandemic influenza is different from "ordinary" seasonal flu, which for most people is an unpleasant illness but runs its natural course (sometimes referred to as "self-limiting") and is not life endangering.

Pandemic flu can occur when a new influenza virus emerges which is markedly different from recently circulating strains and to which humans have little or no immunity. Because of this lack of immunity, the virus is able to:

• infect more humans over a large geographical area,
• spread rapidly and efficiently from person to person,
• cause clinical illness in a proportion of those infected.

The new HSE guidance offers advice on:

• whether employees should wear masks at work,
• how to deal with workers who regularly come into contact with the public,
• whose responsibility it is to provide masks,
• the types of masks and other related issues,
• other protective measures,
• physical barriers to provide protection against the influenza virus,
• other sources of information.