Many Canadian businesses are unprepared for pandemic flu

In a survey conducted in the first two weeks of September by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), almost 60 percent of those surveyed believe the threat of a pandemic is real. Yet only 22 percent of respondents have an emergency plan in place with another 27 percent saying that they are working on developing one. These results do not show a significant change from a similar survey conducted by the OCC in 2005 when less than 50 percent of those surveyed had a pandemic plan in place to protect their operations from any possible business disruption.

"Despite the daily reminders that H1N1 may result in widespread illness this fall, and the experience of the SARS epidemic of 2003 still fresh in our minds, most businesses are not fully prepared with a business continuity plan," says Len Crispino, president & CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. "Of course we hope that our worst fears will not be realized, but it is prudent planning to prepare for the worst so that the impacts on our individual firms and the economy in general, are more moderate."

The OCC created a Pandemic Planning Toolkit in 2008 and is rereleasing the kit now in light of the concerns surrounding H1N1. Distributed through the Ontario network of chambers of commerce and boards of trade, the toolkit helps businesses understand some of the key questions to ask in order to develop a business continuity plan for any emergency.

http://occ.on.ca/2009/08/pandemic-planning-tool-kit/

•Date: 6th Oct 2009• Region: Canada •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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