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Are you ready for an outbreak? |
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Written by Nathan Mallett
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Thursday, 29 December 2005 |
.jpg "Nathan Mallet") Nathan Mallet
While this much-feared mutation of the virus has yet to occur (and might never occur), the potential is there, experts say.
And such an outbreak could decimate the workforce.
In fact, the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that a pandemic could affect up to 30 percent or more of that country’s population, resulting in catastrophic levels of absenteeism and effectively grinding many businesses to a halt, for weeks perhaps.
Workplace News asked Adrian Gordon of the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness, a Burlington, Ont.-based not-for-profit organization that promotes disaster management to businesses, government and the public, if he thinks Canada’s employers could expect similar absenteeism.
“The worst case situation could be up to 30 percent of the workforce are affected across the board, that includes essential services… and business,” Gordon says.
Gordon also urges employers to revisit their business continuity plans in advance of a possible outbreak, and do so soon.
“The need to start preparing for such an event is critical,” he says.
Unfortunately, according to many observers, North American employers are just not ready for the havoc a pandemic could unleash.
“Many national governments are developing extensive pandemic preparedness plans. However, there is little or no advice specifically directed towards the business community," says Dr. Myles Druckman, vice president of medical assistance for International SOS, a health and safety consulting firm that helps employers in 40 countries.
To help organizations get a handle on preparedness, International SOS recently launched a pandemic preparedness Web site (www.internationalsos.com) offering information, links and a step-by-step guide to help employers develop a company/employer-specific pandemic preparedness plan.
Another avian flu preparedness checklist can be found at Canada’s own Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) Web site.
The site offers a series of free guides that will help employers prepare for possible disruptions and formulate plans for their organizations.
The site also features a comprehensive set of links to other government agencies and health authorities that offer even more information.
If an avian flu outbreak does strike, few will be able to say they didn’t see it coming. But how many organizations will be ready to cope with the fallout?
There’s an old adage that says that in times of danger we should hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Good advice.
Nathan Mallett
Editor
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.jpg "Nathan Mallet")
