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Posted By RichardJ
I was wondering whether businesses were taking this threat seriously and doing risk assessments, taking actions and getting contingency plans into operation?
Current advice from WHO is that planning should be made.
Would appreciate some feedback.
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Posted By Dean Stevens
Rich,
I think that the company should work closely with Doctors/GP's to publicise the availability of flu jabs to all. I think that the cost of the jab has even been subsidized by some companies in the past.
Hope this helps.
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Posted By Descarte
Think I heard on the radio that BP or Shell are doing a interactive seminar on this topic coming soon in Aberdeen, may be worth while attending?
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Posted By Hilary Charlton
We have a pandemic preparedness plan of sorts but it is very much up in the air because it obviously pertains to the Avian Flu for which there is currently no vaccine and which may or may not become a pandemic.
I think it is imperative that persons are put in place who will make decisions should these become necessary, so it should sit alongside your emergency plan as ours does, but actual planning for an H5N1 pandemic is a worthless exercise until it actually becomes a reality.
Hilary
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Posted By Anwar Afzal
The Flu Jabs are a waste of time, I have had it along with a Pneumonia jab and i have had more of the horrible stuff since the jabs than in the last 10 years.
So back to the drawing board guys.
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Posted By Linda Westrupp
Richard
I think it is important to consider planning for a pandemic but as Hilary says this could be part of, or sit alongside, your emergency plan which should include business contingency planning. The main things to consider would be; what business activities are vital; who will make decisions; how will you move items around; can you support employees with bereavements in the family; what will you do about employees with children if schools are closed; can you temporarily redeploy workers to vital services/areas; and if you can what training will they need in advance?
Flu jabs are useful but in this case there will not be a specific vaccine for H5N1 mutation until 3-6 months after the pandemic starts. However, if you are in a poultry business you will probably already have been offered free jabs for workers, since the mutation is most likely to occur in someone with both types of flu (avian and human) at the same time.
The thing you really need to consider is whether you can operate with 30-50% of employees absent or could you afford to close down for a while, and if you can, how will you get up and running again?
Linda
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Posted By David-J-Jones
Whilst I agree with the majority of the comments on this track . Can I suggest that colleagues also take a look at the cabinet office guidance on the subject. This allows you to at least do an estimation of threat.
Taking into account absence from colleagues who are sick, bareaved,caring for sick relatives or caring for children (one of the government plans is to close schools if felt necessary )or scared colleagues initial waves absence forecasts can be up to 30% with secondary waves potentially worse.
No vaccine is likely to be developed for some considerable time and then it will need to be produced in sufficient quantaties.
Take into account the effects to your suppliers and customers and at least a quick review of organisational impact is reasonable
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Posted By Tabs
Linda, spot on, good reply.
Waiting for something to happen does not imply planning, it implies reaction. Small businesses may be better off reacting - but most medium to large size companies will fare better by having thought through the scenario and having at least some idea of how they will react to specialists being removed from the workforce by illness.
We all have people in key positions without backup. As the bare minimum identify them and plan for their absence. Have your suppliers do the same. It is probably as easy as having someone trained up by shadowing.
Most organisations within the City now have full-blown plans ... even without H5N1 we now have a much better idea of our business "pinch points" and how to cope with mass absence.
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Posted By Raymond Rapp
Richard
My organisation are currently preparing a pandemic preparedness plan. We work in many industries including public transport. Hence there is a need for a strategic assessment if and when...
Regards
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Posted By Debbie Blay
Hi Richard
My company is taking this very seriously and I have just started reading a very good book on the subject. Let me have your e-mail address and I will forward the information onto you on how to obtain the book.
Debbie
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Posted By Richie
Hello all,
Some good advice on the topic has been shared within this thread.
As a SHE Adviser I routinely remind myself where my time and expertise is best targetted.
I aggree there are SHE aspects to emergency preparedness, however the issue as a whole is not necessarily the remit of the SHE adviser/manager. In my view this is largely a general management issue, requiring some SHE input in the case of first aid presence and so-forth.
In a nushell, let the management get on with the task of ensuring emergency preparedness, input SHE related issues where required, but in a sizeable company, this is too big an issue to be trying to do the managers job for them.
Richie
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