Flu season has hit hard - closing schools, keeping employees home sick and turning public places into germ playgrounds.

For businesses, this year's outbreak of H1N1 influenza has prompted increased health precautions for both employees and customers.

From hotels and restaurants to gyms and grocery stores, cleaning and sanitation practices have been increased or made more visible as companies try to minimize the spread of the virus.

At Hannaford Supermarkets, hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes are on display near the shopping carts.

Mike Norton, a Hannaford spokesman, said the stores have upped the visibility and supply, given the flu concerns, and customers seem to be using more of the products.

"We're deploying more, and I think we can safely presume more customers are seeing it," Norton said.

For employees, the company is encouraging sick workers to stay home, offering wellness seminars and also placing hand sanitizer in offices and at work stations.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends businesses have contingency plans in case swine flu breaks out in their offices. They also advise businesses to offer flexible policies that encourage workers to stay home when ill and to be able to take time off to care for a sick family member.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates the loss of work because of typical seasonal influenza cost American businesses about $10 billion last year. Those losses are expected to be greater this year.

The Holiday Inn Turf in Lake George has taken care to clean shared work spaces during shift changes.

Brian Straughter, vice president of Turf Hotels, which owns the property, said the front desk is wiped down between shifts, as are phone headsets and keyboards. The same attention is being paid to areas frequented by guests.

"We're paying particular attention to high-traffic areas - door knobs, telephones, key cards," Straughter said.

The hotel ordered 40 Purell hand sanitizer dispensing units to be installed throughout the building for guests, but it may take a while for the order to ship due to high demand.

"We're in the queue now," Straughter said.

In the meantime, individual bottles of sanitizer have been placed in strategic locations, such as the front desk and the lobby.

"People are definitely taking advantage of it," he said.

For many buffet-style restaurants, the possibility of spreading germs is magnified by self-serve stations that are handled by dozens, if not hundreds, of hands on busy days. Now, some restaurants say they are more closely monitoring the cleaning procedures already in place.

"Obviously, with the swine flu going on, we're monitoring the activity even more," said David Wong, an account manager with Old China Buffet in Queensbury.

Wong said workers are washing their hands more frequently and ensuring the utensils for the self-serve buffet are cleaned regularly.

The buffet hasn't put out hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes yet, but Wong said that's the next likely step.

At Log Jam Restaurant in Queensbury, Assistant

Manager Anita Chase said sick workers are encouraged to stay home, and hand sanitizer is provided at the salad bar. She said so far employees have avoided any flu problems.

"I think people are automatically taking extra precautions," Chase said.

Gyms, too, are working to make sanitizing supplies accessible for clients.

Louis Pellino Jr., manager of Adirondack Nautilus Health Club on Glenwood Avenue in Queensbury, said members are taking advantage of spray and hand sanitizer, as well as other cleaning supplies, for shared gym equipment.

"People are using it more, and we're buying more of it," Pellino said.

The Glens Falls Family YMCA has posted signs about how to stay healthy during flu season and included reminders about best practices in its newsletter.

Deb Piro, associate executive director of external operations, said the facility took extra precautions when swine flu first surfaced in the spring.

She said routine good cleaning of equipment, door handles and the babysitting area have helped maintain a healthy environment.

According to Piro, workers are encouraged to stay home when they are sick, and the staff has been able to cover the shifts.

Use of the facility hasn't declined on flu fears, she said. In fact, usage this week was up 8 percent, compared with the same period last year.

"People are really getting the message all the way around," Piro said.