SaferMe is highlighting the issues of ‘COVID fatigue’ which is making it harder for organizations to ensure that they are fully prepared for future pandemics.
"Many US companies are developing COVID fatigue and are becoming complacent with their planning. It is just good business continuity protocol to ensure that pandemic plans are always up to date," says Clint Van Marrewijk, CEO and founder of SaferMe. "Companies that rely on outdated historic pandemic plans or adopt a wait-and-see approach are potentially jeopardizing business operations, supply chains, and jobs."
"Irrespective of the pandemic type or its magnitude, now is the time for businesses to take the responsible steps to be prepared for all types of pandemic eventualities. We have had some bitter lessons in what not being adequately prepared means," adds Van Marrewijk.
SaferMe recommends that companies develop an integrated response, which can be activated within 48 hours of a virus risk surpassing the company's risk tolerance. The following steps will help companies achieve this:
- Monitoring health developments inside their business as well as up and down their supply chain and the environment in which they are located.
- Contacting partners, suppliers and customers to ensure that they have up-to-date pandemic plans.
- Avoiding ‘siloed’ pandemic plans that exist in isolation. Instead, incorporate an integrated pandemic plan into the company's business continuity planning.
- Pre-approving response systems, such as technology, that can confirm which employees have been in contact with each other (only when needed). This information is derived from second-generation contact tracing, which makes the old-fashioned phone tree systems completely obsolete — these must be removed from all plans.
- Develop a virus toolkit that can exist in a state of readiness and can be activated at a moment's notice. The toolkits must contain personal protective equipment, a supply of hygiene supplies such as hand sanitizers, an automated contact-tracing system, and company-wide health-check ability.
