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Protecting workers against avian influenza

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While public attention has been focused on a general pandemic of avian influenza, there is another dimension that should not be forgotten: avian influenza as an occupational disease. The International Occupational Safety and Health Information Center (CIS) has made a list of selected internet resources providing information on the protection of workers against avian influenza. Prepared and made available by international and national organizations, the documents and guides address risks when working with poultry, in laboratories, as airline crews, etc. Control measures involve using appropriate protection, taking precautions and educating workers in order to prevent an outbreak in the human population.

The list of resources listed below was last updated on 14 July 2006.

INTERNATIONAL OSH RESOURCES

World Health Organization (WHO)

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

International Union of Food, Agricultural,
Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco
and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF)

European Centre for Disease Prevention
and Control (ECDC)

World Organization for Animal Health

NATIONAL OSH RESOURCES

Canada

China

France

Germany

Portugal

New Zealand

United Kingdom

United States

Go to : PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

INTERNATIONAL OSH RESOURCES

World Health Organization (WHO)

Avian influenza, including influenza A (H5N1), in humans : WHO interim infection control guideline for health care facilities (last amended on 24 April 2006).
Description: Provides infection control guidance for health care workers in health care facilities evaluating or providing care for patients with suspected or confirmed avian influenza infection.
WHO Laboratory biosafety guidelines for handling specimens suspected of containing avian influenza A virus (12 January 2005).
Description: Guidance for laboratory workers to protect them against avian influenza.
WHO Interim recommendations for the protection of the persons involved in the mass slaughter of animals potentially infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (26 January 2004).
Description: Recommendations for the protection of poultry workers against avian influenza.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Protect poultry - Protect people. Basic advice for stopping the spread of avian flu.
Description: Messages for poultry keepers, veterinarians, culling teams as well as the general public setting out correct practices to avoid the spread of the disease.
Prevention and control of avian flu in small scale poultry [in Vietnam] [in Cambodia].
Description: Information and guidance for poultry owners and veterinary paraprofessionnals in South East Asia in order to prevent and control avian influenza.

International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF)

Avian Influenza (H5N1) and Agricultural and Food Workers: Rights, Risks, Public Policy Issues
Description: Gives access to documents, news and fact sheets underlying the need to protect agricultural workers against avian influenza. Below is a list of the most recent documents [ Display this document in : French / Spanish ] :
- Avian Influenza (H5N1) and the Food Chain: The link between workers’ rights, working conditions, food safety and public health (7 March 2006).
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is necessary, but not a solution (7 March 2006).
- Avian Influenza (H5N1): Agricultural and Poultry Workers on the Front Line of Exposure - a Short Route to a Global Pandemic? (7 March 2006).
- Avian influenza H5N1: An occupational health, safety and rights issue for food and agricultural workers (28 October 2005).
- IUF Briefing Paper: Avian Influenza (H5N1) and Agricultural Workers (1 October 2005).

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Guidance for workers protection.
Description: Guidelines for workers who are directly or indirectly exposed to the virus through their work (e.g. veterinarians exposed to infected birds or those culling birds).

World Organization for Animal Health

World Organization for Animal Health. [in English; in French; in Spanish].
Description: Rounds up the news on animal avian influenza and disseminates information for the control of the disease.

NATIONAL OSH RESOURCES

CANADA

Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat - Frequently Asked Questions. Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA).
Description: Provides background information about avian influenza, reviews the risk and stages of a pandemic and sets out workplace precautions to be taken by employers to protect workers, including biosafety measures for poultry handlers and processors.

Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan. Public Health Agency of Canada.
Description: Designed for federal, provincial and territorial departments of health, emergency workers, public health officials, and health care workers, it maps out how Canada will prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. [ Display this document in : French ]

CHINA (Hong Kong)

Prevention of Avian Flu [in English; in simplified Chinese; in traditional Chinese]. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Description: Information web site on the prevention of avian influenza containing several guides, fact sheets and leaflets, prepared by the HKSAR, targeted at the general public as well as workers in various sectoral activites such as health services, the poultry industry and the media. Below is a selected list of the most relevant documents on the prevention of avian infuenza among workers:
- What employers and enterprises should know about influenza preparedness.
  Description: Gives practical tips to employers on how to protect their staff against avian influenza.
- Health advice on prevention of avian influenza in the workplace.
  Description: Establishes good health and hygiene practices to prevent avian influenza in the workplace.
- Influenza pandemic preparedness information kit for health care workers.
  Description: Contains background information and sets out measures to apply for infection control and public health.
- Health Advice on Prevention of Avian Flu for Media Workers.
  Description: Recommendations to media workers while visiting avian influenza affected areas.
- Prevention of Avian Flu (guidelines for poultry workers).
  Description: Establishes conditions and hygiene practices to protect the health of those engaged in selling live poultry.

FRANCE

Grippe aviaire : risques en milieu professionnel et perspectives en cas de pandémie (in French) [Work-related risks and prospects in the event of pandemia]. Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (INRS).
Description: Responses to workers' questions in aviculture (poultry farming, rearing and keeping) and those travelling for work in the affected countries.
Grippe aviaire (in French) [Avian influenza]. The interministerial site of the French governement.
Description: Gives answers to all questions about avian influenza and includes the English version of the Governmental plan for the prevention and control of influenza pandemic.

GERMANY

Schutz von Beschäftigten vor der Vogelgrippe (in German) [Protection of workers against avian influenza]. Jointly prepared by the Hauptverband der gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften - HVBG, Bundesverband der Unfallkassen - BUK, Bundesverband der landwirtschaftlichen Berufsgenossenschaften - BLB).
Description: Release prepared by the German accident insurance institutions (HVBG, BUK and BLB) that sets out general safety measures to protect workers against avian influenza.
Aktuell: Vogelgrippe in Deutschland - Hinweise der Berufsgenossenschaften (in German) [Avian influenza in Germany - Recommendations made by professional associations].
Description: Gives access to a series of documents providing general guidance to workers as well as information targeted at specific industrial sectors (such as medical services, restaurants, food processing industries, etc.).

NEW ZEALAND

Influenza Pandemic Planning Information for Business Continuity. Ministry of Economic Development (MED).
Description: Contains (1) a Business Continuity Planning Guide, which comprises a range of information designed for general use by businesses and other organisations in New Zealand and (2) a Pandemic Planning Information Kit tailored for infrastructure providers in the energy, communications, transport, water and waste sectors.

PORTUGAL

Doença humana por vírus da gripe de origem aviária A (H5N1) - Medidas de protecção individual em Serviços de Saúde. (in Portuguese) [Human infection with avian influenza virus A (H5N1) - Personal protective equipment for health care workers]. Ministry of Health.
Description: Provides guidance for protecting health care workers.

UNITED KINGDOM

Working with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
Description: Addresses risks when working with poultry, in laboratories and for health care workers.

UNITED STATES

Guidance for protecting workers against avian flu. Department of Labor - Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
Description: Provides background information on transmission and prevention to anyone, such as farm animal handlers, laboratory workers, food handlers, etc. who may come in contact with contaminated birds.
Avian influenza protecting poultry workers at risk. Department of Labor - Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
Description: Advisory paper intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthy workplace to poultry workers.
Interim Guidance for Protection of Persons Involved in U.S. Avian Influenza Outbreak Disease Control and Eradication Activities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Description: Guidelines on how to protect people involved in activities that could result in exposure to avian influenza, such as culling operations, carcass disposal, and cleaning and disinfection of premises. [ Display this document in : Spanish ]
Interim recommendations for persons with possible exposure to avian influenza during outbreaks among poultry in the United States (February 2004). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Description: Provides interim guidance for persons who might be exposed to avian influenza, health-care professionals and consumers of poultry. [ Display this document in : Spanish ]
Interim guidance for airline flight crews and persons meeting passengers arriving from areas with avian influenza. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Description: Specific guidance on the handling of passengers suspected of having avian influenza.
Interim recommendations for infection control in health-care facilities caring for patients with known or suspected avian influenza. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Description: Provides guidance for protection of health-care workers involved in the care of patients in the United States with known or suspected avian influenza.
Interim guidelines for the protection of persons handling wild birds with reference to highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Wildlife Health Center.
Description: Provides guidance for field biologists and others working with or handling wild birds with specific reference to highly pathogenic avian influenza.

PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza - Consolidated Action Plan for Contributions of the UN System. United Nations System Influenza Coordinator, UNSIC (July 2006).
Description: collates avian influenza action plans and programmes developed by the different UN agencies to reflect common objectives, strategic directions and results, including financial requirements.
Pandemic influenza preparedness and mitigation in refugee and displaced populations, WHO (May 2006).
Description: Addresses the key issues surrounding detection, response, containment, and impact mitigation in the event of an influenza pandemic.
WHO pandemic influenza draft protocol for rapid response and containment (updated draft 30 May 2006).
Description: Provides guidance to facilitate rapid detection and assessment of potential "signals" that the virus is improving its transmissiblity, and to guide implementation of effective response interventions before an emerging pandemic virus has spread beyond an initial outbreak zone.
WHO Responding to the avian influenza pandemic threat - Recommended strategic actions [in English; in French; in Spanish; in Arabic; in Russian; in Chineses ]
Description: Sets out activities that can be undertaken by individual countries, the international community and WHO to prepare the world for the next influenza pandemic and mitigate its impact once international spread has begun.
WHO global influenza preparedness plan [in English; in French; in Spanish; in Arabic; in Russian].
and Clarification on the use of masks by health-care workers in pandemic settings [in English; in French; in Russian].
Description: Assists countries in responding to threats and occurrences of pandemic influenza.
WHO checklist for influenza pandemic preparedness planning [in English; in French; in Spanish; in Arabic; in Russian; in Japanese]
Description: Sets out essential elements that should be considered by countries that are developing an influenza preparedness plan.
National Influenza Pandemic Plans.
Description: Countries' responses to a pandemic influenza threat.
Strategic and operational plan for responding to pandemic influenza, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (Draft, 23 Septembre 2005).
Description: Based on the WHO global influenza preparedness plan (listed above), the PAHO plan takes a multisectoral, phase-specific approach to planning for an influenza pandemic and emphasizes the need for joint action among authorities in health, agriculture, emergency response, and other sectors, as well as with civil society and the private sector.

Updated by CD. Approved by GS. Last update: 10.07.2006.