How My Office is Preparing for Swine Flu

I am not sure how others feel, but when the flu season starts, I get very antsy. I have three children: one in preschool, one in kindergarten and one in middle school. My husband works in a factory around food, so he is always using the most sanitary methods to prevent contamination. I work at the Crawford County Adult Education Center in Van Buren, Arkansas. My family is constantly exposed to the various cooties that are rampant in public places. Unfortunately, if one of my family gets sick, they generously share it with the rest of us. I have become insane over the last few years, kind of a germinator. I try very hard to keep my home and vehicles as germ free as possible. At the adult education center, I appreciate how we are assisted in preventing the spread of germs, especially since the advent of the swine flu, or H1N1.

One of the best things that is provided for us at work is hand sanitizer. We have at least one pump in every room, and we have automatic dispensers throughout the halls of the building, as well. The pumps are available at any time, but the new automatic ones have only been installed within the last month. There are tissues available in many areas for sneezers and coughers, and we try to keep them near the hand sanitizer as a suggestion.

Other items that are available for sanitizing our facility are the wonderful disinfectant wipes that are in every room. We are able to use them on the desks and tables where our students work, and we are able to use them on the phones and computer keyboards that are used frequently. Also, there are many of us who make time to go around the building and clean the door knobs, door handles and switch plates, as well as the many objects and surfaces that are frequently touched. For example, who would really remember to wipe down the buttons on the vending machines?

Since most of the students and employees coming to the school their own kids or are around other children every day, it is extremely important to be vigilant in our efforts to reduce the risk of illness. There are many cans of disinfectant spray made available, and we have many cleaning products within easy reach. We may not love the smell or the feeling that it has established residence in our throats and lungs due to the fumes, but as I tell my children and husband, "It sure beats being sick!"

of course, old-fashioned methods are helpful. We do make certain there is plenty of soap in the bathrooms with the options of paper towels or the hand dryer. Washing with soap and water is still a most effective measure. Our bathrooms are also kept very clean to keep down the germs in there as well. All efforts to prevent the spread of H1N1 that we can manage.

Some of our resources to deter the swine flu were already in place before the it became a threat. However, there have been new additions to our defenses, like the sanitary wipes over a bowl of soapy water and a wash cloth and the automatic dispensers. We may have a few cases of the flu, but it will not be for lack of effort. We are alert to the issue, and we are ready to roll up our sleeves to reduce our risk as much as possible.