Confused by all the reports about the Swine Flu? If you’re like us, you have trouble figuring out how serious this H1N1 virus pandemic really is and when you should start to worry. Many businesses are keeping a close eye on this current strand of influenza to see how quickly it is escalating and when to begin preparations.
The H1N1 virus epidemic that started in Mexico has now become a Stage 5 worldwide pandemic according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Sounds like it might be time to take action, or least keep track of who’s sneezing in your office…
One thing that companies have begun doing is to set their contingency plans in motion. Sprint/Nextel was showcased on CNN.com for having a pandemic flu contingency plan in place for the last four years. Their plan was created originally in response to the growing concerns regarding possible SARS and avian flu outbreaks. Sprint’s preparation has paid off – and they are already implementing their contingency plan.
If your organization does not have a formal contingency plan that will protect employees and reduce the negative effect of business interruptions, now might be the perfect time to make one.
The CDC has acted responsibly in creating a sample Contingency Planning Checklist to help organizations create their own comprehensive and effective plan. A few of the twenty (20) questions to answer on the CDC’s checklist include:
- Has a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) been conducted?
- Have preventive controls and measures been identified and implemented?
- Have key personnel responsible for executing the contingency/disaster recovery plan been identified?
- Have contingency plans been developed and tested?
You can view and download the complete sample contingency plan using the following link: http://www.complianceposter.com/documents/cdc_contingency_plan.doc
Remember, an ounce of precaution is worth a pound of cure. We hope this helps.
-Labor Law Darius & Poster Patty
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My biggest concern about this is the lack of productivity it is causing among workers. There is a great deal of confusion and concern which makes people talk about it even more thereby accentuating the problem.
I am glad that someone is finally doing something about communicating the FACTS regarding Swine Flu and precautions people should take. This helps improve worker productivity and lessen fear. Hat’s off to you guys for making the posters on this!
Mark Deo
Business Consultant