Flight attendants union wants flu safeguards

[Omaha Steve]

By HARRY R. WEBER

ATLANTA (AP) — A national flight attendants union wants the Federal Aviation Administration to require U.S. airlines to develop and implement passenger-screening standards because of the swine flu scare.

The request, if granted, could be costly to an industry already reeling from a drop-off in demand due to the weak economy.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA also asked the FAA in a letter Monday to order airlines to provide flight attendants with non-latex gloves and masks and to allow flight attendants with flu-like symptoms to call in sick but not have the absence counted against their allotted sick leave.

"We believe that the FAA administrator has the authority to issue such an order ... in light of the serious threat that this outbreak poses to flight attendants and passengers on flights into and out of affected areas," an AFA-CWA official said in the letter.

The letter added that protecting flight attendants "will reduce the risk of disease transmission for all aircraft occupants."

The AFA-CWA represents flight attendants at several airlines that offer flights to Mexico, including US Airways and United Airlines. A spokeswoman for the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents pilots at several major U.S. carriers, did not return a call to the group's Washington offices Tuesday seeking comment.

FULL story at link.

[Xipe Totec]

1. What about nurses? n/t

[uppityperson]

4. What about nurses? We have masks and gloves available.

If there get to be a large number of cases in an area, they will start implementing other safety precautions, perhaps giving anti-viral drugs to health care providers.

[Xipe Totec]

5. That's nice

If you know you need to wear a mask.

But privacy laws sometimes prevent even nurses from finding out who or what they're dealing with.

[kestrel91316]

6. Patients with serious infectious diseases don't have a right to keep that secret

from medical staff caring for them in a hospital. If protection is needed, the staff has an absolute right to know.

[Xipe Totec]

7. That's nice to know

my son, who is a nurse, just got attacked by an ex-con, released from prison after serving his term, for murder.

Nobody bothered to tell him he was a violent offender, because of patient confidentiality rules...

[uppityperson]

2. I can see their point. Being stuck in an enclosed environment for hours

could be an issue. No link though

[uppityperson]

3. Link is missing. Thanks O.S.

[Omaha Steve]

8. Here is the link

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hILTMw0vJig9WEipueNcLuXLv7zAD97RMG180

Sorry about that. I do that once in awhile when I'm in a hurry.