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  Pandemic Flu   |  In the Event of a Pandemic Flu Outbreak  |  Protecting Your Business

Business Continuity Plan

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.

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