The Possibility of a Flu Pandemic Requires Business Planning
The fast-spreading swine-flu virus has a lot of people nervous. It is not pandemic and may never be, but forward-thinking firms are reviewing their policies, procedures and preparations for dealing with a situation that potentially could have a devastating impact on their businesses. The timing could not be worse, as many companies struggle with financial pressures from the global recession.
The potential for a business impact brings into sharp focus business-continuity fundamentals that are useful in any emergency. The swine flu that started in Mexico and is spreading around the world is the second pandemic influenza scare in the last several years, the first being the avian flu that was concentrated mainly in Asia. That did not spread globally, but it did spawn a very useful “Pandemic Preparedness Manual.” Prepared in late 2006 for the nonprofit International Facility Management Association Foundation, it mainly is aimed at facility-management personnel but can be adapted for construction businesses. It can be downloaded at www.ifmafoundation.org/pandemic.pdf. Other useful information is available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.