Swine Flu - Who Gets In?
I started recently asking the question about how you run your business in the event of a pandemic hitting. My previous post raised the basic questions that you should ask about staffing and the vital areas of your business. This post covers access.Most businesses do not operate in isolation. There is a constant stream of visitors - buyers, suppliers, bankers, contractors, inspectors, staff, supply deliveries, interviewees, etc. Under "normal" circumstances, this is part-and-parcel of day-to-day-business. If you have to "button down" your facility to reduce the risk of contamination from outside, you need to decide who gets in. Obviously, the staff necessary to run the business are a given, but who else?
You will not be able to bar access to the outside world completely. Something will break down and will need to be fixed, so decide now what is vital to the business and make allowances for the appropriate outside contractors to visit. Remember that your contractor may also have staff who are sick or otherwise impacted, so they may not be able to service you immediately (if at all). What equipment is vital? When was it last serviced/inspected? If it is not serviced/inspected regularly, does that mean that your business cannot function? What will be the impact on your customers? What actions do you need to take?
Similarly, who will you let your staff interact with? On the smallest scale, will certain departments or teams need to be kept isolated (can they be kept isolated) from each other? A moratorium on travel abroad makes sense, and only essential visits to other organisations should be allowed (you don't know what precautions, if any, they are taking and whether they are as thorough as you are).
Staff should also be encouraged to minimise visiting family, friends and crowded places. This is easier said than done, but make them aware of the risk of transmission if they maintain a high level of exposure to the outside world at a time when the threat of contamination is higher.
Check your child's school to see what precautions they are taking - children are very good at passing on "bugs" and schools are being closed. Does the school have plans to close if certain events occur? If so, what will this mean for you? Will you need to arrange child care (or look after the child yourself)? Will this impact your ability to go to work? What about your staff?
For those who do have to visit your business, have a set of hygiene precautions. Your GP can help here, but this can be what you want. You may want to include questions about whether they have recently met anyone who has/might have been exposed to the flu and/or whether they have recently been quarantined for suspected flu symptoms. Obtain contact details and an undertaking to inform you immediately if they should contract the flu. Have them wash their hands with an anti-bacterial gel (get medical advice on the most suitable one to use) and if you feel so inclined, make them wear a mask. You should have a stock of these and of hand wash at the entrance to the premises, along with your questionnaire. Make sure that they have contact only with those whom they have come to visit and record these details. You may decide to use one designated area only for meetings to help minimise the risk of transmission to others. Ideally, this should be a room with good ventilation that can be cleaned easily.
For essential deliveries of office supplies, etc, can they be delivered outside? Make arrangements with the supplier and explain why. It is for their protection as well as your own.
Where your business relies on a flow of customers (e.g. supermarket, restaurant), what can you do? What health advice is there from your GP? Will you have to change the way you operate, and if so, what is the impact?
Labels: Crisis Management
posted by William Martin @ 21:28
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