Pandemic PreparednessforBusinesses: Pandemic Preparedness for Businesses Taking your preparedness plans to the next level.


What is pandemic flu?: What is pandemic flu? Pandemic flu is virulent flu that causes a global outbreak of serious illness. Because there is little immunity, the disease can be spread easily from person-to-person.


What is seasonal flu?: Seasonal (or Common) flu is a respiratory illness that can be transmitted person to person. Most people have some immunity, and vaccines are available. What is seasonal flu?


What is avian flu?: Avian flu is caused by influenza viruses that occur naturally among wild birds. H5N1 is deadly to domestic fowl and can be transmitted from birds to humans. There is no human immunity and no vaccine available. What is avian flu?


Businesses Play Key Roles: Businesses Play Key Roles Protect employees’ health Limit negative economic impact Be community leaders Assist with Recovery


Communication 1918:: Communication 1918: Newspapers • Word of Mouth National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology


Communication: Communication Today All media Web Businesses Schools Churches Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Why local?: Why local? A severe pandemic will overwhelm state and federal resources. Response will be: Family by family Community by community Business by business


Businesses can help with:: Businesses can help with: Communication Health and safety Financial stability


Businesses can help with:: Businesses can help with: Continue critical operations Provide healthy work places Provide healthy public transportation alternatives


Businesses can help with:: Businesses can help with: Remote working conditions Stabilized compensation Loans Access to retirement Grants


Why Plan?: Why Plan? Business continuity means ensuring that essential business functions can survive a natural disaster, technological failure, human error, or other critical event.


Why Plan?: Why Plan? Up to 25 to 40% absenteeism Over 3 to 4 months


Short Term Impacts: Short Term Impacts Severe Case 30% of workers sick in most sectors 2.5% of them die Survivors miss 3 weeks of work


Severe case continued: Severe case continued Applying average worker productivity rates, loss to economy is: $600 billion (2005$), or 5% of GDP


Mild Case: Mild Case 25% of workers sick in most sectors 0.1% of them die Survivors miss 4 days of work


Mild case continued: Mild case continued Applying average worker productivity rates, loss to economy is: $180 billion (2005$), or 1.5% of GDP


1. Medical Impacts: 1. Medical Impacts 90,000 – 200,000 deaths 300,000 – 700,000 other hospitalizations 18 mil. – 42 mil. outpatient visits 20 mil. – 47 mil. other illnesses


2. Costs: 2. Costs Total costs to U.S. economy between $100 billion and $215 billion (2005 $)


Conclusions: Conclusions Economic impact of a pandemic on the U.S. economy will be BIG – somewhere between a mild and severe recession


Why Plan?: Why Plan? Prioritize essential functions Identify essential personnel Identify essential assets Identify alternate facilities Ensure communications/ connectivity


Be prepared: Be prepared Understand the potential Know who will provide needed information


How to Plan: How to Plan Checklists from: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pandemicflu.gov


What to do: What to do Government health officials will issue information and warnings: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov American Red Cross www.redcross.org World Health Organization www.who.org


What to do: What to do Priority One: Identify a pandemic coordinator and team


Empower the team with:: Empower the team with: Knowledge of the issues Decision making abilities Access to key people Government agency access Employee communication skills


What to do:: What to do: Develop, plan and exercise scenarios likely to result in an increase or decrease in demand for your products and/or services during a pandemic.


What to do:: What to do: Identify and plan for: Essential functions Critical inputs


What to do:: What to do: Cross Train employees


What to do:: What to do: Consider economic impact on your company.


What to do: What to do Establish communication plan with employees.


What to do: What to do Exercise your plan.


Plan for employee & community: Plan for employee & community Forecast and allow for employee absences Personal or family illness Community containment Business or school closures


Plan for employee & community: Plan for employee & community Implement guidelines on face-to-face contact among employees and between employees and customers. Get CDC recommendations


Plan for employee & community: Plan for employee & community Encourage vaccinations Improve healthcare Provide mental health services Plan for special needs


Plan for employee & community: Plan for employee & community Allow for Volunteers responding to pandemic Childcare needs forced by school closings


What to do: What to do Identify key vendors, suppliers and customers Identify/develop key contacts and chains of communication Anticipate supply/distribution chain interruptions


What to do: What to do Anticipate travel restrictions Evaluate policies for employee absences Leave due to isolation or quarantine


What to do: What to do Take steps for proper treatment Collaborate with health department Evaluate providing on-site clinic Provide transport to medical facilities


What to do: What to do Educate, Inform, and Involve Anticipate questions Allow for employee input Find ways to make a difference Practice appropriate, healthy behavior


What to do: What to do Develop programs and materials covering pandemic fundamentals Anticipate employee fear and anxiety, rumors and misinformation


What to do: What to do Talk with employees about your pandemic preparedness. Ensure that communications are culturally and linguistically appropriate. Provide information for the at- home care of ill employees and family members.


What to do: What to do Develop platforms for communicating pandemic status and actions Identify community sources for timely and accurate pandemic information


What to do: What to do Coordinate with organizations Collaborate with insurers Contact local healthcare Collaborate with federal, state, and local public health agencies and/or emergency responders


What to do: What to do Share best practices with other businesses in your communities, chambers of commerce, and associations to improve community response efforts.


What to do: What to do Download Sample Emergency Plan from the Ready Business Web site at: www.ready.gov/business


What to do: What to do


What to do: What to do


What to do: What to do


What to do: What to do