Pandemic flu guidance for the police service - What you need to know and how to protect yourself and others
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Pandemic flu guidance for the police service What you need to know and how to protect yourself and others
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Everyone will be involved in the fight
against pandemic influenza (flu) in
terms of managing the impact it
will have on society and preventing
further spread of the infection.
This booklet explains how members of the
Police Service, in the course of their daily work,
protect themselves, their colleagues, families
and the public, and prevent the spread of flu.
This guidance focuses on the direct threat to
police officers and staff from influenza. Forces
should also ensure that they incorporate all
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including
surgical masks, aprons and gloves into the
relevant risk assessments.
www.npia.police.uk
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What is pandemic flu?
Flu is a familiar infection in the UK, As it is a new virus, the entire
especially during the winter months. population will be susceptible
The illness, caused by the flu virus, because no one will have any
can be mild or severe and, at times, immunity to it. Therefore, healthy
can lead to death. adults as well as older people,
young children and people with
Generally, some groups of people existing medical conditions will be
are more susceptible to flu than affected. The lack of immunity in
others, especially older people, the UK population will mean that
young children and people with the virus has the potential to spread
certain medical conditions. This very quickly between people. This
is why the flu vaccination is will result in many more people
recommended to these groups of becoming severely ill and potentially
people each year. many more deaths.
Pandemic flu is different from The circumstances exist now for a
ordinary flu because it occurs when new flu virus to emerge and spread
a new flu virus emerges into the worldwide. New flu viruses can arise
human population and spreads from re-assortment of the human
from person to person worldwide; all flu virus or evolve from animal
countries will be affected. influenza viruses.
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Signs and symptoms of flu
It is likely that the signs and The incubation period (time
symptoms of pandemic flu will be between contact with the virus
the same as for ordinary flu but may and the onset of symptoms)
be more severe and cause more The range is from one to four days,
serious complications. for most people it will be two to
three days.
The most significant symptoms
are the sudden onset of: The infectious period (how long
• Fever you are infectious to others)
• Cough or shortness of breath People are most infectious soon
after they develop symptoms
Other symptoms may include: though they can continue to shed
• Headache the virus, for example in coughs
• Tiredness and sneezes, typically for up to
• Chills five days (seven days in children).
• Aching muscles People become less infectious as
• Sore throat their symptoms subside and once
• Runny nose symptoms are gone, they are
• Sneezing considered no longer infectious to
• Loss of appetite others.
www.npia.police.uk5
What you should you do if
you have symptoms or are ill
If you feel ill whilst at work, report it How is flu caught and spread
immediately to your senior officer to others?
or occupational health department. Flu, including pandemic flu, is
Do not simply carry on working. spread from person to person by
close contact. Some examples of
If you develop symptoms whilst how it can be spread include:
not at work: • coughing and/or sneezing by an
• stay at home infected person within a short
• do not go to work until you are distance (usually one metre or
fully recovered less) of someone
• phone your station or • touching or shaking the hand
occupational health department of an infected person and then
and call NHS Direct. touching your mouth, eyes or
nose without first washing your
hands
• touching surfaces or objects (eg
door handles) that have become
contaminated with the flu virus
and then touching your mouth,
eyes or nose without first washing
your hands
• in some circumstances, it is
thought that the virus may be
passed on in fine droplets –
aerosols. This is not considered a
major route of transmission and
is only likely to occur during some
medical procedures.6
What you can do to protect
yourself and others from flu
• Use a tissue to cover your nose • Before you leave work you should
and mouth when coughing and/ wash your hands, and then wash
or sneezing. Dispose of the tissue them again soon after you arrive
promptly and then wash your home
hands • Tissues should be disposed of
• Wash hands frequently with in domestic waste and do not
soap and water, especially after require any special treatment.
coughing, sneezing, and using Used tissues should be put in
tissues. An alcohol handrub could a waste bin immediately after
be used as an alternative for use or as soon as is feasible. You
cleaning hands should wash your hands after the
• Avoid touching your mouth, eyes tissues have been disposed of.
and/or nose, unless you have
recently cleaned your hands
• Use normal household detergent
and water to clean surfaces
frequently touched by hands
www.npia.police.uk7 Specific Issues During a pandemic, most people If a person has died at home and you will meet in the course of your flu is suspected, then disposable work will not have flu. However, there gloves should be worn when may be situations where a member handling the body or articles in the of public or someone in custody home. Avoid touching your face or has a flu-like illness, or you may mouth with your gloved hands. It be involved in arresting someone is important that you wash your or administering first aid to, or hands after leaving the premises. resuscitating, someone who has flu- If there are symptomatic relatives like symptoms. In these situations, or friends at the house, you should you should follow standard guidance wear a surgical mask. as issued by the service.
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Use of PPE when dealing
with the population at large
PPE is NOT needed for routine • Used PPE can be disposed of
policing activities. You should only in domestic waste, preferably
use PPE if you have to come into in tied black bags. There is no
close contact (within one metre) need for non-healthcare settings
with someone who has flu-like to introduce clinical waste
symptoms. Otherwise common procedures for the disposal of PPE
sense actions to reduce contact during an influenza pandemic.
should be used.
Use of PPE (apron, surgical mask
Personal Protective Equipment and gloves) when dealing with
(PPE) people in custody
• Ensure that you are aware of If someone in custody develops flu-
your employer’s procedures like symptoms, they (the prisoner)
regarding personal protective should wear a surgical mask and
equipment (PPE) and that you be medically assessed. In addition,
are using them correctly. if you enter their cell or are within
• Use the PPE (usually aprons, one metre of the prisoner then you
surgical masks and gloves) should wear an apron, surgical mask
as directed by your senior and gloves (PPE).
officer, when there is a risk of
contamination from respiratory After leaving the cell, the PPE you
secretions. have worn should be disposed of
• Whilst the appropriate use of and you should clean your hands.
PPE may offer some protection There may be environmental
to clothes from contamination, contamination in the cell. Hard
during the pandemic you may surfaces in the cell should be cleaned
wish to consider changing out of using normal cleaning products
your work clothes before travelling after a prisoner with flu-like illness
home. Work clothes that are has vacated the cell. If there is
washed at home can be washed more than one prisoner with flu-like
in a domestic washing machine. symptoms in custody, PPE should
www.npia.police.uk9
be changed after contact with each of protection. However, if you
prisoner and hands cleaned. If a are involved in assisting with a
prisoner is symptom free then PPE procedure where an aerosol might
does not need to be worn. be generated, such as assisting
an ambulance worker in putting a
Disposing of PPE tube into someone’s lungs, then
In order to minimise the risk of an FFP31 respirator should be used.
infecting yourself or your colleagues Training and fit testing is required
from used PPE, it is essential that it for these to be used properly.
is removed in a standard manner.
You should first of all remove your Surgical facemasks should:
gloves by turning them inside out • cover both the nose and
in one single motion, then remove the mouth
your apron and finally remove the • not be allowed to dangle around
surgical mask from your face using the neck after or between
the ties or tapes. Avoid touching the each use
front of the mask. The PPE should • not be touched once put on
be bagged and disposed of. After • be changed when they become
disposing of PPE, it is essential that moist; and
you clean your hands with soap • be worn once only and then
and water or if not available, use an discarded in an appropriate
alcohol handrub. receptacle as clinical waste. Hand
hygiene must be performed after
Type of mask to be used by disposal is complete.
police officers
The surgical masks that you may Actions when mouth to mouth
have to wear will be the same as resuscitation is needed
those used by healthcare workers. If you need to give mouth to mouth
These are fluid repellent surgical resuscitation to someone then you
masks and for most circumstances should use a one-way resuscitation
will provide an appropriate level device eg Laerdal mask with filter.
1
F FP3 respirators are multi layered masks, often with a valve at the front. They provide a high level of protection but are
only used when the risk of infection is significant (such as intubating an individual who has flu-like illness).10
The Police Service may work differently
during the pandemic
During a flu pandemic, the police • Work patterns may be rostered
service may work in a different way to try and minimise contact
to how it works now: between officers and shift
patterns may be changed if large
• As the pandemic escalates, it numbers of officers are affected
may be necessary to cancel all by flu at the same time.
non-urgent/routine activities and • There may be changes to the
it is likely that only essential work way in which deaths in the
will continue. This will be done community are dealt with.
to reduce the risk of exposure
to people with flu-like illness in
the population and ensure that
sufficient staff are available to
deal with emergencies.
www.npia.police.uk11
Being Prepared, knowing what to do
The UK would inevitably You can be prepared by knowing
be impacted by any global what to do and by becoming
pandemic. Currently all services familiar with your own service’s
and organisations are developing contingency and pandemic plans.
contingency plans in order to try to • Remember the signs and
maintain essential services in the symptoms of flu.
event that large numbers of people • If you are ill whilst at home, do
become ill. not go into work. Telephone your
station or occupational health
You will be required to work department.
differently in order to manage acute • If you become ill whilst on duty,
staff shortages and to prevent the do not carry on working. Inform
spread of infection. your senior officer immediately.
• Above all else, you must
observe strict hand hygiene and
respiratory etiquette.NPIA • Pandemic flu guidance for the police service July 2009
Further Information
Infection-control training materials aimed primarily at the healthcare sector
can be accessed at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/PandemicFlu/DH_078752. This
includes posters on the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
and effective hand hygiene.
This document has been produced in collaboration with the Home Office
Joint Advisory Group and the Association of Chief Police Officers.
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