New Zealand survey looks at pandemic planning in regional businesses The survey was conducted by the New Zealand Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) earlier this month. “A slight majority of businesses are beginning to take the possible threat of a ‘flu pandemic seriously and have begun planning”, said Paul Jarvie, manager of EMA’s Workplace Health & Safety Services. But there are a large number of employers who have decided either not to do anything, or have not yet started to plan for such an event.” “Medium size and larger companies which may have the resources available to focus on disaster recovery planning are clearly doing so. But smaller businesses are most at risk should their staff be quarantined or fall ill, and most of them haven’t begun to plan.” Of those who have started preparing, 87 percent have made a person accountable for their pandemic planning with 68 percent of respondents having attended a seminar on the subject. Approximately 75 percent have provided education and training to staff and 73 percent intend to make masks and gloves available to staff should an outbreak occur. Providing additional IT services to allow staff to work from home has been a major focus, with 70 percent planning to utilise telework in some way. “But when it comes to talking with suppliers and customers about contingency plans, businesses have a long way to go,” says said Paul Jarvie. “Only 27 percent have considered carrying extra stock, with 25 percent opening discussions with their suppliers, and 20 percent with their customers. Talking about the issues to their banks (12 percent) indicates that financial planning has barely commenced, a factor that could have a major impact in the worst case scenario.”
•Date: 28th April 2006• Region: N. Zealand • Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning |
