An in-depth look at H1N1 flu

An in-depth look at H1N1 flu

Since the H1N1 flu was first identified in the spring of 2009, restaurants and small businesses around the world have sought to minimize the risks of the flu for their customers and their employees. The World Health Organization has declared a pandemic, and the U.S. government has issued guidelines to help businesses and consumers alike. Although H1N1 flu cannot be transmitted through food, the restaurant industry is tackling the pandemic full on. Many restaurants are offering hand sanitizer, providing more lenient leave schedules for employees and posting best practices. This H1N1 Flu Special Report offers information on what H1N1 is and what restaurants, consumers and the government are doing to protect against the pandemic. Part 1, published Tuesday, Sept. 29, offered an H1N1 overview, examples of how restaurants are responding and best practices ideas. Part 2, below, focuses on the government’s role, how consumers are responding and risk-management tactics.

Government

• Government issues H1N1 flu tips to small businesses
  After issuing H1N1 flu guidelines for larger businesses, the Obama administration offered similar advice to small businesses. New guidelines suggest that small-business owners consider telecommuting and lax leave policies as viable ways to ward off potential outbreaks at work. The Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire blog (9/14)
• Check out the guide for small businesses.
• Homeland Security: Send sick employees home
  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security advised businesses to send sick workers home to prevent the possible spread of H1N1 flu. “If an employee does become sick while at work, place the employee in a separate room or area until they can go home, away from other workers,” the federal H1N1 flu guidebook said. American City Business Journals/Phoenix (9/14)
• Find out what else the government is doing to combat H1N1 flu.

	Prepare for H1N1 with a Toolkit from NRA and Ecolab The National Restaurant Association and Ecolab have developed a toolkit to help restaurants fight H1N1 flu and help prevent spread of influenza among employees and guests. The toolkit provides information and guidelines to help prepare for and prevent a flu outbreak. BE PROACTIVE. Download the toolkit at www.restaurant.org/fluinfo/toolkit.cfm.

Consumer Response

• More adults worried about getting H1N1 flu, poll says
  A USA Today/Gallup poll of 1,007 U.S. adults found that more people were worried about H1N1 flu, with one in three saying they or a family member probably would get the flu, up from one in five in a May survey. About 17% of those polled said they were worried they would get the flu, up from 8% in June, and 55% now say they will get vaccinated, an increase of 9%. USA TODAY (9/1)
• Clinics tell flu patients to call before coming in
  Some clinics are trying to keep flu patients from spreading the virus by asking them to call first and not come in unless their illness turns severe. Clinics also are passing out face masks to staff and to all patients who show up with H1N1 symptoms, and HealthPartners hot-line nurses are prescribing antivirals for high-risk patients so they can go directly to the pharmacy. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (9/24)

Risk Management

• Disinfecting hands, surfaces can help stem spread of H1N1 flu
  Disinfecting bathroom fixtures, doorknobs and handrails in public places can go a long way in preventing the spread of H1N1 flu, writes Chris Wiant, CEO of Caring for Colorado Foundation in Denver. Also helpful is washing hands with hand sanitizers. USA TODAY (8/31)
• Strategies for coping with an H1N1 flu outbreak
  Many small-business owners worry how they will be able to keep their doors open if an H1N1 flu outbreak affects large numbers of their staff. Experts suggest they disinfect surfaces frequently, pay for employees’ flu shots and train workers to do one another’s jobs. The Wall Street Journal/The Associated Press (9/16)

NRA Resources

NRA offers H1N1 flu info center
The National Restaurant Association and Ecolab have developed a toolkit to help the restaurant industry fight H1N1 flu and prevent the spread of influenza viruses in restaurants. The toolkit includes information to help prepare for and prevent an influenza outbreak at your location. Listen to our webinar, H1N1: What You Need to Know About the Influenza Pandemic, and visit H1N1 Flu: Resources for Restaurateurs for more

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Turn Problems Inside Out When Seeking Solutions

Some problems require fresh, innovative thinking. One way to search for creative solutions is to remember the acronym SCAMPER:

• Substitute. Replace an element that’s part of the problem. Use a   different material, ingredient, or person and see what happens.
• Combine. Put elements together. If you can’t decide whether to use salt or pepper in a recipe, try both.
• Adapt. Look outside the problem for someone you can use to address it. Velcro was invented by someone who looked closely at how burrs stuck to clothing and adapted the idea.
• Minimize or maximize. Make something smaller or larger. Instead of targeting the mass market with a new product, for example, maybe you can find a small niche to sell it to.
• Put things to a different purpose. Look for a different application. Instead of an entrée, maybe what you’ve cooked could be an appetizer or dessert.
• Eliminate. Look for elements you don’t need. Often we include steps in a process out of habit, for example, whether they still serve the original purpose or not.
• Rearrange. Put the elements in a different order or reverse them completely. You spot what’s missing more easily in a new arrangement.

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Inspire Your Restaurant Staff

The NRA has produced an inspirational six-minute video as a tribute to what restaurants do for our country – their impact on their employees, on careers, on communities and on the nation’s economy.

National Restaurant Association Video
America’s Restaurants: Serving Our Nation

Show this to your staff teams, business colleagues, community groups and others.
I take a lot of pride in our industry and this video shows we have a heck of a lot to be proud of!

Enjoy!
Jonathan

This article provided by Jonathan Munsell, Restaurant Success System www.restaurantsuccesssystems.com

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