Planning for a pandemic flu will give your business
a competitive advantage. In the event of a global pandemic, economic
loss will inevitably occur. To continue operating in the face of
high absenteeism, disrupted supply chains, and dramatic systems
changes requires careful advance planning and education. A well-prepared
business will suffer less long-term damage, and will recover more
quickly.
Being prepared means:
Develop contingency plans for human resources,
security, facilities, and other situations
Communicate plans to employees, customers,
vendors, and others
Adapt quickly to changing circumstances
The
World Health Organization has determined six phases of a pandemic.
We are in Phase 3 of the Avian Flu pandemic, which means there is
currently little to no human-to-human transmission of the virus.
There have been isolated outbreaks of human illness resulting from
close contact with birds, and deaths have occurred.
In Phase 4, there would be small clusters of sustained
human-to-human transmission. Phase 5 would be a larger cluster,
such as a small town or village. Phase 6 is a global pandemic.
Start planning now! If businesses wait until
Phase 4, it might be too late to effectively plan. It takes methodical
planning for a company to be able to continue operations during
a pandemic.
Consider the SARS epidemic of 2003:
The City of Toronto suffered severe economic
loss.
The Toronto tourism industry lost about $1.5
billion.
The government’s
rebuilding plan pledged $118 million to restore global confidence
in Toronto as a vacation destination.
An influenza pandemic would be considerably
more expensive.
Most business continuity plans are based
on two assumptions:
Back to business as usual in 30 days or less
Go from the affected site to the unaffected
site and resume business
Neither of these assumptions apply with pandemic
flu.
Pandemics usually last approximately 18 months,
with three distinct peak periods or waves. Each period lasts approximately
2-3 months. You can assume the following:
You can assume the following:
Pandemics affect the population universally.
You may see 30% or more absenteeism among
your staff and vendors, as well as community service personnel
such as health care, police, and fire.
The first three to four months (90-120 days)
will likely produce the greatest number of deaths and illnesses.
Critical functions carried out by contractors,
consultants and vendors cannot be guaranteed.
Health officials may recommend “social
distancing,” i.e., restrictions on public gatherings, telecommuting,
and limiting public transportation.
Typical gathering places in the community including
schools, churches, and malls may be closed.
Society infrastructure will be stressed, but
remain functional.
We will likely have less than six weeks of
warning from the time the pandemic is announced before it reaches
the United States.
Vaccinations may take several months to develop,
and antibiotics are only for the treatment of a secondary bacterial
infection.
Voluntary home isolation for ill individuals
and voluntary home quarantine for anyone having contact with an
ill person.
Montgomery County health officials want to limit
the spread of disease and suffering, but it is just as important
to minimize economic and social disruption. A pandemic might start
out as a health problem, but it can quickly become an economic disaster.
You can limit the loss of revenue and increase
your business’ recovery time by beginning to plan now.
Seniors
