At Hannaford Bros. stores, antiseptic cart-wipe dispensers are being refilled more regularly, a basic step the supermarket chain is taking to help protect customers and workers from the potential spread of H1N1 influenza.

Behind the scenes, Hannaford has contingency plans that could outfit workers with gloves and masks, so they could keep stores open during a pandemic.

"We're not near that threshold, and no one's contemplating that will happen," said Michael Norton, a Hannaford spokesman. "But we're an important public institution, and we'd be prepared to do what we need to do."

Hannaford's actions show how, in small and big ways, Maine employers are gearing up to do business this fall and winter under the threat of H1N1 flu. They are contemplating how to deal with high absentee rates, reviewing sick leave and return-to-work policies and taking measures to keep employees and customers from spreading the virus.

No one knows how the swine flu threat will unfold, but a report released this past week for the White House said that half the U.S. population could be infected. That means that, beyond schools and child care centers, workplaces need to be prepared, especially those that provide essential services.

The need is being magnified by the lingering economic downturn, which has led companies to cut staffs and delegate more functions to remaining workers.

The cleaning crews at Kennebunk Savings Bank are doing a more vigorous job disinfecting door handles and ATM keypads. And the bank recently tested its pandemic planning, which would let it consolidate operations in a few branches, expand Internet banking and serve customers at drive-up windows.

"Customers want their money, and they need to have comfort that we'll be there for them," said Dennis Byrd, the bank's chief operating officer.

Much of the planning, not surprisingly, is being done by large employers with more resources. What's unclear is the preparedness of small businesses, those that depend on a handful of workers to keep operating.

"For a lot of small businesses, I suspect it's going to be a slow process," said David Clough, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business. "It may seem pretty theoretical and abstract to them."

COMMON-SENSE STANCE FAVORED

Workplaces of all sizes got some guidance this month when the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new recommendations for businesses. Many adults spend at least part of their day in the workplace, so public health officials want to focus on reducing the spread of the virus among staff members and protecting higher-risk workers, such as pregnant women, while maintaining business operations.

Specific measures include:

• Encouraging workers to get vaccinated.

• Improving hygiene and surface cleaning.

• Keeping sick workers at home and asking employees who get sick at work to go home.

• Being prepared for workers to be absent while tending to family members or responding to school or day-care closures.

The guidelines are based on a flu outbreak similar to the one last spring. If conditions worsen this winter, the CDC recommends additional measures, including screening workers each day for signs of illness, letting employees work from home and increasing "social distancing" in the workplace – keeping people at least 6 feet apart at most times.

The guidelines are meant to provide a framework that employers can adjust to suit their needs, says Dr. Dora Anne Mills, who directs Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We can tell everyone in society, 'Stay 6 feet away, wear a mask and stay home,' but it's almost laughable," she said. "It would just be too disruptive. So it's a matter of figuring out what makes sense."

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