Flu Preparedness and Business Continuity Plans Combats the Spread of the H1N1 Virus

The UGL Unicco Flu Preparedness and Business Continuity Plan is a comprehensive set of procedures and cleaning services that are designed to help ensure the health and safety of customers’ personnel, the public and UGL Unicco employees during flu events, up to and including pandemic events.

The program begins by designating a chain of command starting with a Business Continuity Manager and alternates for each account. It also calls for the implementation of emergency communications procedures that include hotlines, pre-arranged phone conferencing and pre-developed contact lists for customers, civil authorities and emergency responders.

The company has defined new procedures and additional training for employees, and set clear guidelines on employee health and work attendance to minimize the spread of the H1N1 virus.

An escalated cleaning regimen is also defined for high-transmission spaces such as elevators, stairwells, washrooms and kitchens; and surfaces that are frequently touched by hands, including door knobs, countertops, desks, elevator buttons and panels, telephones, keyboards, etc. These areas and surfaces will be cleaned with specialized disinfecting cleaners following strict application and drying guidelines. Cleaning frequencies and times may also be adjusted to improve sanitation and accommodate customers’ schedules.

UGL Unicco is a premier provider of outsourced facilities services and is a subsidiary of United Group Limited. It offers facilities maintenance, operations, cleaning, lighting and administrative/office services, as well as plant services in support of industrial operations. UGL Unicco employees will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and some areas may be closed for disinfecting. Customer employees may be asked to remove personal items so UGL Unicco cleaners can do a more effective job of cleaning work surfaces. Additional procedures have been defined for UGL Unicco’s maintenance and other service staff to respond to the pandemic.

“This is the most ambitious cleaning program we have ever instituted,” said UGL Unicco Vice President and General Manager Operations David Giamichael. “The updated and revised UGL Unicco Flu Preparedness and Business Continuity Plan supplements our customers’ response programs by adding our expertise and efforts to the equation. It builds on our support of customers through natural disasters and our experience last spring helping commercial businesses, governmental agencies and universities respond to local H1N1 outbreaks.”

UGL Unicco is committed to green services through its award-winning UGL Unicco Sustainability Services program ( www.greenservice.com ) that supports sustainability across its service offerings. UGL Unicco's advanced facilities initiatives include the myunicco.com portal, UNI-Q® mobile inspection system, USafe® health and safety program, eProcurement systems, and a 24x7 national operations center.

Trane, the environmental solutions company that improves indoor environments with energy-efficient heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, suggests that facilities and building managers inspect HVAC systems, their major components, as well as air and water distribution to help mitigate the spread of type A (H1N1) and other types of Influenza. Some of the precautions may be based in adopting simple common sense measures while others are related to proper maintenance protocols. In addition, there are system upgrades that can be performed to further mitigate risks. Below is a list of tips to consider during cold and flu season:

Monitor facilities to ensure that no warm, stagnant water is present as it can provide an environment conducive to the growth of problematic microbes such as Legionella, the cause of Legionnaire’s Disease.

Monitor areas including cooling towers, pooled water on roofs or clogged drains that can harbor unhealthy contaminants that can be introduced into the building and circulated by the air distribution systems into the occupied spaces

One simple upgrade facilities can implement is to upgrade the efficiency of the air filters. As filter efficiency increases, typically their resistance to air flow also increases. Always check to be sure the fan system can handle the resistance being imposed by the filters and other components in the system. Also, select replacement filters based on the specific particles you intend to collect. Viral droplets or droplet nuclei of influenza for instance are very small but are typically surrounded by a mucus shell making them larger and easier to remove.

It is necessary to re-evaluate how and when filters should be changed. Rather than via a simple schedule, it may be more prudent to measure the pressure drop through filter banks and set up basic performance metrics to determine the best model for filter changes.

Simple measures are the first line of defense. Technicians should wear cut-resistant gloves when performing filter changes or basic maintenance to air dampers and commonly exposed system components. Also, properly fit respirators to ensure that the risk of exposure while working above the ceiling or in poorly ventilated areas is minimized.

A common service and maintenance procedure is to verify correct outside air intake dampers settings and operation. Trane recommends that most commercial spaces operate at a slightly positive pressure relative to the outdoors to reduce the likelihood of contaminants infiltrating into the occupied areas.

Check and validate restroom and other critical area exhaust fans to assure that they are removing contaminants from the building before they become mixed with the indoor air. Perform preventive maintenance on small exhaust fans to ensure they have not accumulated dirt, reducing their effectiveness.

Provide staff with basic training and increase overall awareness about the risks of influenza exposure and the likely ways to contract the virus. Also, conduct formal training of staff technicians and subcontract workers in how to work with your building systems to reduce risk and increase health and safety as well as reducing exposure to other harmful airborne particles.

Direct contact is the most common pathway for the spread of disease. Communicate influenza safety tips and precautions to all building departments – especially those whose primary function includes occupancy of guests, visitors and the general public.

Encourage hand washing among all staff. If possible, add hand cleaner and hand sanitizer supplies at air handler locations, equipment controls, railings and access doors.

Additional pandemic resources

There are many resources to provide details and more complete planning recommendations including:

For more information, visit www.Trane.com

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