Australian Employers Should Take Swine Flu Precautions Now

AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYERS SHOULD TAKE SWINE FLU PRECAUTIONS NOW
Duty of Care Provisions Means OHS Risks Must be Taken Seriously
Managing Employee Concern

SYDNEY, APRIL 28, 2009---Australian employers should take steps now to limit workers exposure to Swine Flu, leading workplace relations and occupational health and safety (OHS) law experts say.

Overnight the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised its flu pandemic alert level from three to four, signalling a "significant increase in risk of a pandemic."

And although no cases of Swine Flu have yet been confirmed in Australia, the country's chief medical officer Jim Bishop is reported as saying it is inevitable swine flu will eventually reach our shores.

"As with SARS and Bird Flu, employers have a duty of care toward staff working in or travelling through areas where infections are reported," says Michael Tooma, leader of Deacons' OHS practice.

"From a safety perspective, they must review optional travel requirements and what risk-free alternatives such as videoconferencing are available, visits to high risk regions, and policies regarding return to work afterward to ensure they continue to provide a safe working environment."

"In the 2003 SARS pandemic, we saw situations where staff did not want to continue to travel through high risk areas and where employees back home did not want to work in proximity with a colleague who had travelled to a high risk area and was exhibiting flu-like symptoms."

From a workplace relations perspective, here at home global employers should prepare to manage concerns and queries from staff working in or travelling through areas where infections are reported, says Stuart Kollmorgen, a partner in Deacons' workplace relations practice.

"As with SARS and Bird Flu, employers may develop HR policies covering travel in high risk regions and return to work afterwards, such as employees taking sick leave to ensure symptoms have not developed."


Kate Alexander
Communications Co-ordinator
(02) 9330 8170

Michael Tooma
Partner
OHS
Deacons
(02) 9330 8108

Stuart Kollmorgen
Partner
Workplace Relations
(03) 8686 6561


SOURCE: Deacons