Planning for Pandemic Influenza Outbreak

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Planning for Pandemic Influenza

Although the WHO announced in August 2010 that the H1N1 influenza virus ('Swine Flu') has moved into the post pandemic phase, pandemic influenza remains on the UK's National Risk Register and organisations are still urged to prepare for it.
Absenteeism is the major continuity challenge of the pandemic situation with short-staffing inevitable due to illness, caring responsibilities and fear of leaving home to go to work. This may have a significant knock on effect and lead to disruption of transport networks, power and water supply, ICT systems and create massive strain within the supply chain.

What steps can you take to minimise the impact of 'swine flu' on your organisation?

There are some basic and pragmatic steps you can take to prepare for the pandemic situation and ensure your organisation stays up and running. Achieving this is not only essential in business terms but will also enhance your reputation. These steps include:

Ensuring you have mechanisms in place to communicate with staff about the pandemic influenza situation

Be able to update your staff on the nature of the 'flu threat to allay any fears

Remind them that the best way to protect themselves from pandemic flu is to observe good personal hygiene, in particular washing hands

Provide staff with the key facts and advise them where to get credible information about the influenza pandemic

Know what your critical services are and have a pandemic plan in place to operate with minimum staffing level

Develop pandemic 'flu policies to support your response

If you already have a pandemic plan, remind staff about these arrangements

Ensure teams or individuals assigned specific responsibilities are aware of their role and what to do
If you do not have a 'flu pandemic monitoring officer, assign someone responsibility for keeping abreast of the situation

Ensure your ICT systems will support home-working if that is in your plan

What we can do to support you through using our influenza pandemic planning services

Steelhenge has proven experience in helping clients prepare to meet these challenges. We can support and advise you in a variety of ways; from the development of a whole pandemic programme through to supporting you with component parts such as:

Development of scaleable pandemic plans to manage the impact of pandemic 'flu on your business, your employees and your customers

Mechanisms for dealing with specific issues presented by the pandemic situation such as the development of supporting HR policies and ICT capabilities for home working

Training to raise staff awareness of the challenges posed by 'swine flu' and your organisation's planned response

Workshops to validate plans and rehearse your staff in the 'flu pandemic responses

Horizon scanning and preparation of continuity-focused executive briefings about the current pandemic 'flu status

Time spent planning for a pandemic will never be wasted as the principles are directly transferable to a general business continuity programme.