Pandemic Ready

By Lee Stewart

The events stemming from the H1N1 (Swine flu) outbreak of April 2009 have highlighted the need for businesses of all sizes to be prepared for an imminent Influenza pandemic.  Managers need to ensure their preparations are complete and that all staff members are educated in order that, in the event of a pandemic being announced, disruptions are minimised and economic continuity is preserved.

As the World Health Authority have declared that a pandemic is imminent it is important that workforces are given access to vital information enabling them to understand the nature of what they are facing and how best to prevent the virus’ spread, thus minimizing the impact on productivity.

Managers are being advised to identify the key areas and personnel that are likely to be affected and also to identify the areas that, if affected, would cause the greatest disruption to their business. Many companies are preparing by investing in training staff in good infection control measures and also to cover for colleagues that are off sick.

It is important for everyone to consider the most cost effective way of ensuring the right people have the right information, in this financial climate efficiency throughout is paramount.

Lee Stewart is the creator of the online education tool Pandemic Ready which is used by a number of businesses to help edcuate staff and potentially minimise the impact of a pandemic in the workplace.  He can be contacted via email. lee.stewart@2and2.com.au

By Lee Stewart

Four years ago the risk management, business continuity, HR and OHS departments where all in a frenzy with what looked like that the next pandemic influenza was about to strike with the Avian strain of H5N1.

In the process of developing the Online Pandemic Ready course I attended a few conferences where officials and doctors discussed what might happen, how to plan for it and what to stockpile and how much was it all going to cost. The real answer to any of this is that we just don’t know. When it comes to something such as a Pandemic Influenza there are many unknowns and a number of curve balls can be thrown and as businesses you have to be able to adapt and have a fluid plan. This is especially critical to essential services such as power companies, health and police services.

With the recent events of H1N1 (Swine Flu) outbreak in Mexico and subsequently transcending the globe there are many organisations who are either dusting of their pandemic plans from about three years ago or now find themselves in the position of having to quickly put something in place because I am sure that in the majority of board rooms and senior executive briefings the question is being asked, “What’s our pandemic plan?”

With all the events unfolding I caught up with some old acquaintances in the industry and spoke to Troy Fazakerly who is a consultant in Pandemic Planning and has his own firm Creative Spark Consulting.  Troy spent a number of years developing the pandemic strategy for Energy Australia and he was quite blunt when I asked the question have many organisations missed the boat?

“Those companies that don’t have a plan in place it is probably too late for them to start stockpiling as I am sure that whatever kits are in the country will either be sold at a premium price, be out dated or will simply take over three months to arrive in Australia”

It wasn’t very comforting words for those without stockpiles and having tried to secure stocks for some clients and can say first hand that Troy’s original assessment was correct with prices going up daily and stocks just about sold out. Troy did however offer some sound advice to those companies without stockpiles and went on to say:

“Companies can now be proactive and start internal awareness and education programs. One of the key mitigating factors when dealing with a pandemic influenza is the education and level of training amongst your workforce. Social and behavior change is required along with a basic understanding of how influenza spreads and how you can protect yourself and others around you.“

So if you are in the midst of putting together your pandemic plan then staff education and awareness is definitely one of the main things you should consider to help minimise the impact on your business.

Lee Stewart is the creator of the online education tool Pandemic Ready which is used by a number of businesses to help edcuate staff and potentially minimise the impact of a pandemic in the workplace.  He can be contacted via email. lee.stewart@2and2.com.au

By Lee Stewart

Business owners in United Kingdom have been alerted to the need to prepare for the imminent H1N1 (Swine Flu) Pandemic. The British government is going to great lengths to make sure that the excellent systems they have put in place to protect the population in the U.K. are going to be supported by a workforce of staff trained to minimise the disruption to the businesses that are the foundation of it’s economy. Prioritising the areas that will need the greatest support is an excellent first step in ensuring that life will go on as normal if, or when, the pandemic takes hold. Underpinning that prioritisation by making sure that key personnel are trained in all the important skills to maximise business continuity and to minimise the spread of a virus through an organisation is the natural next step for a pro-active executive to take.

The recruitment of temporary staff to cover sickness absence is an obvious action many human resource managers are considering. How many managers have considered the impact of a pandemic on their recruitment department, how many personnel departments will find their training/induction programs ill-equipped to deal with an influx of new, temporary staff? A ‘flu pandemic will throw up all of the unforeseeable problems strategic managers hate, now is the time to cover all of your bases to make sure your team has the knowledge and capacity to work in a situation previously unimagined.

Lee Stewart is the creator of the online education tool Pandemic Ready which is used by a number of businesses to help edcuate staff and potentially minimise the impact of a pandemic in the workplace.  He can be contacted via email. lee.stewart@2and2.com.au