'Key actions' for firms to prepare for pandemic flu

Business continuity management forum Survive said the guidance was necessary because experts believed the world was closer to another flu pandemic than at any time since 1968 - when the last of the 20th century's three pandemics occurred.

Survive's ‘Flu Pandemic Guidelines’ were produced from an influenza business continuity workshop involving top public sector and commercial organisations.

The forum claimed the guidance provided a "route-map for developing a pandemic plan" and would enable organisations to "minimise risk to employees, counter the disruptive effects of an influenza pandemic and ensure business survival."

Lorraine Lane, managing director of Survive said: "These guidelines provide recommendations on critical steps all UK businesses should take to protect themselves and their employees in the event of an influenza pandemic.

"We do not know when the next pandemic will strike, but it will be a brave chief executive that stands before their shareholders and staff and says they failed to put a contingency plan in place beforehand."

Major impact

Among the key actions outlined in the guidelines are understanding the urgency of the threat of an influenza pandemic and the importance of planning early.

Managerial commitment to the plan, developing strategies for continuing business during a pandemic and the consideration of health and hygiene measures or medical intervention options, were also suggested.

Survive claimed the guidelines were "particularly important" because UK corporations were not covered by the Department of Health 'Pandemic Plan' - with the Government recommending that companies develop their own business continuity plans to minimise the impact of an anticipated influenza pandemic.

The Cabinet Office has estimated that staff absenteeism could run at 15% for large companies and up to

30% for small organisations as a result of a severe pandemic. Academics have also suggested that the cost the UK economy could be as much as £95 billion.

Previous events

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) an influenza pandemic is a "rare but recurrent event".

Three pandemics occurred in the previous century - “Spanish influenza” in 1918, “Asian influenza” in 1957, and “Hong Kong influenza” in 1968. The 1918 pandemic killed an estimated 40 to 50 million people worldwide. The 1918 pandemic is considered one of the deadliest disease events in human history. Subsequent pandemics were much milder, with an estimated 2 million deaths in 1957 and 1 million deaths in 1968.

The WHO believes that although health care has improved in may parts of the world, the number of deaths worldwide resulting from another "mild" pandemic could be between 2 and 7 million, largely because of the increase in global traffic - leading to a rapidly spreading disease.

‘Flu Pandemic Guidelines’ - currently priced at £15.99 excluding postage and packaging - can be ordered from the Survive website - see link above/right.

Other sources of information are the Continuity Forum - which offers a free online briefing covering 'Pandemic influenza, avian influenza and business continuity planning' - and a 'Pandemic Flu Checklist for Businesses' from the Cabinet Office. Links are again provided above/right.