How To Prevent An Avian Flu Pandemic From Disrupting Business

Published March 7, 2006

Ask the World Health Organization (WHO) about avian flu, and it will tell you an outbreak is inevitable. Ask employers if they've taken steps to prepare for an outbreak, and they'll likely say they haven't and will want a good reason why they should. The disruption to business as a result of employee absenteeism and soaring health care costs should give employers two good reasons to prepare for the possibility of a pandemic flu outbreak.

WHO has reported at least 93 deaths, mostly in Asia, as a result of human contact with infected birds. However, the strain known as "bird flu" could develop into a strain that is contagious among humans. While there have been no reported cases in the world of human-to-human transmission (and with any luck, there won't), if such a strain does develop, the transmission from person to person will likely be rapid and overwhelm unprepared businesses.

The Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Centers for Disease Control, took a preemptive stance against an outbreak and issued a checklist for businesses to protect their employees' health and safety and limit the negative impact of a pandemic. Here are some of the most critical items from the list.

Preparing Your Business

Identify a pandemic coordinator and/or team.
Identify essential employees and other critical inputs required to maintain business operations by location and function.
Find up-to-date, reliable pandemic information from community public health, emergency management, and other services.

Preparing Your Employees And Customers

Forecast and allow for employee absences during a pandemic.
Implement guidelines to modify the frequency and type of face-to-face contact (e.g., hand-shaking, seating in meetings, office layout, shared workstations) among employees and between employees and customers.
Evaluate employee access to and availability of health care, mental health, and social services during a pandemic; improve services as needed.
Identify employees and key customers with special needs, and incorporate the requirements of such persons into your plan.

Establishing Pandemic Policies

Establish policies for flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and flexible work hours.
Establish policies for preventing influenza spread at the worksite.
Establish policies for employees who have been exposed to pandemic influenza, are suspected to be ill, or become ill at the worksite.

Protecting Employees And Customers

Provide sufficient and accessible infection control supplies (e.g., hand-hygiene products, tissues, and receptacles for their disposal).
Ensure availability of medical consultation and advice.

Educating Employees

Develop programs and disseminate materials covering pandemic fundamentals (e.g., signs and symptoms of influenza, modes of transmission), personal and family protection, and response strategies (e.g., hand hygiene, coughing/sneezing etiquette, contingency plans).
Ensure that communications are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
Identify community sources for timely and accurate pandemic information and resources for obtaining counter-measures.

For the complete "Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist," surf to: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/businesschecklist.pdf