Infectious Diseases
- Investigation of notifiable infectious diseases
- Tracing of contacts
- Exclusion of food handlers from work and children from school.
- Offering advice and any necessary follow-up procedures.
There are a number of
disease which must be notified when diagnosed by a doctor for example: Dysentery, Typhoid
and other food poisonings, Diphtheria, Cerebro-spinal Meningitis, Chicken Pox, Epidemic
Parotitis(Mumps), Measles, Pertussis(Whooping Cough), Rubella and Tuberculosis for
epidimiogical purposes.
When certain of these diseases are notified the patient is contacted
and questioned as to date of onset of symptoms and persons s/he may have been in contact
with. This is carried out so as to try to establish the source of the infection and to
limit its spread. It may be necessary, especially in the case of food handlers to exclude
them from work until certified to be no longer infectious so as to diminish the risk of a
food borne disease being transmitted to others. For similar reasons, children too young to
be conscious of personal hygiene may be excluded from school while they are infectious.
The Agency is kept up to date of the progress of diseases around the
world by the UK Health Protection Agency and
the World Health Organisation and free advice is given to
travelers to "exotic" locations who may be recommended or required to be
vaccinated against certain diseases.
GENERAL HANDLING OF MAIL AND IDENTIFICATION OF SUSPECT MAIL
1. General advice on mail
Every business and organisation should assess and review their protocols for handling mail. Good sense and care should be used in inspecting and opening mail or packages.
Guidance about opening mail delivered through the post or by courier is as follows:
- Look out for suspicious envelopes or packages.
- Open all mail with a letter opener or other method that is least likely to disturb its contents.
- Open letters and packages with a minimum amount of movement.
- Do not blow into envelopes.
- Do not shake or pour out contents.
- Keep hands away from nose and mouth while opening mail.
- Wash hands after handling mail
In addition, each organisation should assess whether it is at heightened
risk of receiving mail containing a biological or chemical agent. Based on this assessment, organisations
may wish to consider additional precautions such as wearing gloves and restricting the opening of mail to a
limited number of trained individuals and/or designated areas. You can read the official UK
government advice on this at the following link:
http://www.ukresilience.info/package.htm
2. What types of letters and packages may be suspect:
- Any envelopes or packages with suspicious or threatening messages written on it
- Letters with oily stains
- Envelopes that are lopsided, rigid, bulky, discoloured, have an obvious strange odour or feel like they contain powder
- Unexpected envelopes from foreign countries (including the USA)
- No postage stamp, no franking, no cancelling of the postage stamp
- Improper spelling of common names, places or titles
- Hand written envelopes/packages from an unknown source particularly if addressed to an individual and marked personal or addressee only
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DISCOVER SUSPECT MAIL
1.Action in the event of finding unopened suspicious mail
- DO NOT OPEN THE ENVELOPE OR PACKAGE.
- NOTIFY your manager, who if he/she confirms the risk should call the police on 199, who will advise on further management.
- DO NOT take the letter / package to police or any other authority
- DO NOT take the letter / package away from the office.
2. Action in the event of opening a package/envelope which contains suspicious material, or finding an already opened package
Official UK Government guidance about suspect mail delivered through the post or by courier is as follows:
- Do not touch the package further or move it to another location
- Shut windows and doors in the room and leave the room, but keep yourself separate from others and available for medical examination
- Switch off any room air conditioning system
- Notify building manager
Your BUILDING MANAGER should:
- Notify police immediately using the 199 system
- Switch off the building air conditioning system
- Close all fire doors in the building
- Close all windows in the rest of the building
- If there has been a suspected biological contamination, ensure that personnel outside the room are
evacuated as soon as possible and thereafter ensure individuals in the contaminated room are evacuated to an adjacent
unoccupied room away from the hazard.
- If there has been a suspected chemical incident ensure personnel leave the room as quickly as possible.
Possible signs that people have been exposed will be streaming eyes, coughs and irritated skin. Seek immediate medical advice.
In addition it is advised that:
- You should not clean up any spilled powder
- If clothing is heavily contaminated, do not attempt to brush off any powder- it is better to remove the clothing carefully.
- If anyone believes they have been exposed to chemical / biological material
Guidance is as follows:
- Remain calm.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose or any other part of the body.
- Wash your hands in ordinary soapy water where facilities are provided, but staff movement outside contained locations should be avoided as much as possible.
- Notify police immediately using the 199 system
- Keep all persons exposed to the material separate from others and available for medical attention.
- Other people should assemble at a safe distance from the incident and continue to be guided by the police and the other emergency services.
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