safe environment May 09

In this issue
swine flu
myth
hairdressing
environmental tip of the month

Swine flu - Influenza A(H1N1)
We have heard a lot about this Swine Flu; so what are the symptoms? Some of the symptoms are the sudden onset of fever, cough or shortness of breath. Other symptoms can include headache, sore throat, tiredness, aching muscles, chills, sneezing, runny nose or loss of appetite.

It is important for us to make sure that you have upto - date advice. This will include further information on how to access antiviral drugs, should the virus become more widespread in the UK. The Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513 will be updated regularly.

What should you do if you have just returned from an affected country and you might have swine flu? The advice is as follows: Stay at home. Check your symptoms on www.nhs.uk if possible. Call the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513 to hear the latest advice. If you have taken these steps and are still concerned, call your GP. Or you can call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 in England, NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24 in Scotland, NHS Direct Wales on 0845 4647 in Wales or in Northern Ireland call 0800 0514 142. They will give you advice on your symptoms and the next steps you should take. Do not go into your GP surgery or local accident and emergency department unless you are advised to do so or you are seriously ill, because you might spread the illness to others. Ask a flu friend to go out for you.

Going overseas?
There is a dedicated free phone number for all British nationals overseas to call if individuals are concerned about the current Swine Flu outbreak is: 0044 207 928 1010. On 29 April 2009 the WHO raised the pandemic alert level to phase 5. This is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. It is still at level 5. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) will continue to deliver a consular service for British nationals resident or travelling overseas through our network of embassies, although there may be a limited services in some places affected by swine flu, depending on the scale and severity of the outbreak. If there is any change to the level of service they can provide, this will be reflected in our travel advice for that country. For more information go to the website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/swine-flu

HSE's myth of the month
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) highlight a health and safety myth every month. Apparantly ice cream toppings have been banned... The reality: the HSE were recently surprised to hear that ice cream toppings had been banned amid health and safety fears. To download the poster follow the link.

This rumour came from an ice cream parlour giving out extra toppings in separate containers, instead of pouring them over the ice cream. They were concerned that people might slip on any spills. It’s important to prevent slips - they remain the most common cause of major injuries. But in this case simply clearing up any spills as they occurred would have stopped people slipping and helped the company continue to make great ice cream taste even better!

Hairdressing
According to the HSE up to 70 per cent of hairdressers suffer from work-related skin damage such as dermatitis at some point during their career - most cases are absolutely preventable. Follow the link to learn more.

Environmental tip of the month
If you spend a lot on inks for the printer this could help you. Why not try out "ecofont". It works on the principle of punching holes in the text. To learn more follow the link.

For further guaranteed friendly and professional advice on safety health and environmental issues contact us at info@she.ltd,uk or phone 08456 522049 or visit our website at www.she.ltd.uk.