Avian Flu Concerns Outpace Preparedness According To Workplace Survey From Kimberly-Clark Professional

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Article Date: 27 Sep 2006 - 0:00 PDT


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. This was followed by:

-- Maintaining lists of health-related websites, telephone numbers and other resources for senior leadership or building management personnel (89 percent).

-- Training workers in the proper use of protective equipment (87 percent).

-- Establishing an emergency plan or kit to identify and treat avian flu symptoms (86 percent).

-- Establishing a workplace continuity plan (85 percent).

-- Storing protective masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and other materials in bulk (79 percent).

-- Installing a verbal reminder system to encourage hand washing (75 percent).

-- Encouraging people to work from home when possible (49 percent).

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.

Avian Flu Resources Available Online

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. The Kimberly-Clark Professional web site also contains links to avian flu information, safety recommendations and checklists from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), and other health and safety organizations. Information is also available on personal protection items for healthcare providers, laboratory workers, farm workers and food handlers. More information is available at http://www.kc-safety.com/avianflu.

About Kimberly-Clark Professional

Kimberly-Clark Professional offers a range of well-known brands and product solutions for workplace settings, Do-It-Yourselfers (DIY) and away- from-home washrooms. Kimberly-Clark Professional workplace products include safety apparel, gloves and related accessories as well as task-engineered wipers for both "clean" and "dirty" manufacturing environments. DIY and professional contractor products include solutions for home improvement and automotive projects that make fixing up and cleaning up fast, easy and efficient. Known for innovative, quality solutions, Kimberly-Clark Professional's pioneering products include Coreless Bath Tissue, JRT(R) Bath Tissue, the KIMCARE(R) ALL-N-1 Skin Care System and KIMTECH(R) Wipers. Kimberly-Clark Professional's well-known brands include KLEENEX(R), SCOTT(R), WYPALL(R), KIMTECH(R), KLEENGUARD(R) and KIMCARE(R). Kimberly-Clark Professional, located in Roswell, Ga., is one of Kimberly-Clark Corporation's (NYSE: KMB) four business segments and can be visited on the web at http://www.kcprofessional.com.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - almost a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as KLEENEX(R), SCOTT(R), HUGGIES(R), PULL-UPS(R), KOTEX(R) and DEPEND(R), Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 134-year history of innovation, visit http://www.kimberly-clark.com.

Kimberly-Clark Professional
http://www.kcprofessional.com

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