Planning for the 'Swine Flu' Influenza Pandemic
The economic impact from disruption to business from the so called ‘swine flu' pandemic is anticipated to be substantial. Effective pandemic planning will help mitigate the potential impacts.
With the WHO declaring that the spread of the H1N1 virus now represents a global influenza pandemic (phase 6), organisations and businesses are being urged to make plans to manage the consequences of high levels of absenteeism.
Even though symptoms are generally relatively mild at present, absenteeism is expected to be high and 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. Consideration should also be given to the impact of restricted travel.
What steps can you take to minimise the impact of 'swine flu' on your organisation?
There is still uncertainty about how the influenza pandemic will evolve. However, 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 current pandemic influenza situation
- Be able to update your staff on the nature of the current 'flu threat to allay any fears
- Remind them that the best way to protect themselves from 'swine 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 'swine flu' pandemic 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 ‘swine 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.
Find out our Top Ten Tips for 'flu pandemic planning.
|
