Surface Ripples

Swine Flu - Now It's Real

In April I posted several articles on action to be taken in the event that Swine Flu (its less dramatic name is A H1N1) spread. The UK government has now announced that it has moved from a containment to a treatment phase. If you don't have any contingency plans, now is the time to make them.

Firstly, look at what I wrote in April. I am not an expert on Swine Flu, and much of my advice centres around consulting your GP and medical advisers. This still holds true. YOU will be the expert on what will happen to your business if things do go wrong and staff do not turn up to work.

The UK government has reported nearly 8,000 cases of infection so far, and expects 100,000 per day by the end of August. The focus has moved from prevention now to cure. With the holiday season upon us, people will be moving around more - going away or coming back from overseas and the risk of transmission is higher. If you can, restrict your own movements and follow the "Catch It, Bin It, Kill It" mantra.

Do plan now for your business and what happens to it should you be unable to have all your team present. Get informed through the NHS, your GP and/or medical adviser. Speak to your team, voice your concerns and listen to theirs. Agree plans. If people can work from home (and so minimise their risk of being infected through crowded workplaces), consider making more use of this.

There seems to be no reason for panic. Swine Flu is not a killer of itself yet and those who have died have been the very young, the elderly or those with pre-existing health complications. The risk profile of the virus is still being studied but the NHS advises that the following people are particularly vulnerable:

•People with:
- chronic lung disease,
- chronic heart disease,
- chronic kidney disease,
- chronic liver disease,
- chronic neurological disease,
- immunosuppression (whether caused by disease or treatment), and
- diabetes mellitus,
•Patients who have had drug treatment for asthma in the past three years,
•Pregnant women,
•People aged 65 years and older, and
•Children under five years old.

Be aware, be informed and be careful!

Labels: Crisis Management

posted by William Martin @ 19:23