Control Risks Advises Clients To Review Their Pandemic Contingency Plans As Swine Flu Spreads

Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS;  Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Public Health
Article Date: 08 May 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Control Risks, the international business risk consultancy, advises corporations to review their business continuity and pandemic preparedness plans to limit the impact of the swine flu outbreak to their operations and workforce.

As public anxiety deepens with the spread of the flu and rising death toll and the investor community is raising concerns about the possible implications of the virus on the stock market, Control Risks warns that companies should consider the impact of a potential pandemic on their business operations.

"The challenge of preparing for a pandemic is different from any other scenario," says Brian Kaye, Vice President and National Practice Leader for Business Continuity at Control Risks. "It is a unique effort and must take into account variables such as the business model of the firm, the geography where a company operates and most importantly the culture of the organization."

The emergence of a pandemic influenza could exacerbate existing weaknesses in the economic environment. Furthermore, many organizations have cut back on preparedness spending because of the perception that it could be delayed in dire economic times.

There are a number of specific areas companies should consider to minimize the risk exposure of their businesses and people. "There are measures that can help corporations and that will guarantee the continuity of their operations," continues Kaye. "For corporations with outdated or without pandemic preparedness plans, the first step is for the executive management team to set guiding principles for the coming weeks and months which address duty of care responsibility and to communicate those decisions, as appropriate, to the workforce. There are also policies and protocols that, once put in place, can have a strong impact in countering a pandemic emergency."

Control Risks has released a list of questions that will help corporations determine their level of preparedness.

Source
Control Risks

• See our Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
• See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog