Protecting Your Employees and Company Against H1N1 Flu Virus With vaccines for the H1N1 2009 flu virus not yet released, prevention will be key this season in helping keep your employees and their families healthy. You are not only responsible for your business, but play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Proactive planning can mitigate loss, save lives and assure your business continues to function when it is needed most. Please take a leadership role in your community and encourage others to do the same.
N.G.A. has added a number of new resources thanks in part to N.G.A. Associate Members Clorox and the Kellogg Company. We also have a number of sources from the U.S. Government. Please check out the resources below.
The Clorox Company is committed to working with public health authorities and others to educate people on the preventative steps they can take to help prevent the spread of Influenza A and H1N1 virus. Click here for information.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants small businesses to be prepared for the H1N1 flu. The agency is urging all companies to develop contingency plans for when employees are out sick with H1N1. Visit www.sba.gov/flu for a complete list of the government’s guidelines.
Here are some other additional resources to check out…
PandemicFlu.gov - One-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, Avian and pandemic flu information
Click here for a number of resources and information available to assist retailers in preparing for emergencies, both during and after natural disasters and emergency situations
Below is a list of groups involved in business continuity, information pandemic influenza and emergency management.
The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) www.eden.lsu.edu
A collaborative multi-state effort by Extension Services across the country to improve the delivery of services to citizens affected by disasters. Although this site is designed to serve extension agents and educators, you will find access to a number of different resources on disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Additional Resources:
Open for Business (.pdf) - A disaster-planning toolkit for the small to mid-sized business owners developed by Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
Ready Business (.ppt) – Produced in Cooperation between The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and The Extension Disaster Education Network. Designed to help people understand the importance of a disaster plan, share ideas, and develop the beginning of a disaster plan for their business.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security www.ready.gov
Department of Homeland Security has developed this website, to help prepare businesses and individuals for the potential threats. Ready Business outlines commonsense measures business owners and managers can take to start getting ready. It provides practical steps and easy-to-use templates to help you plan for your company's future.
The National Response Plan establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident management across a spectrum of activities including prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) http://www.bens.org/images/GettingReady_042304.pdf
Getting Ready: Company Primer on Preparedness and Response Planning for Terrorist and Bioterrorist Attacks
Continuity Central's http://www.continuitycentral.com/
Website that offers a large number of articles, checklists and sample plans, resources that will assist in developing the business continuity plan.
Association of Contingency Planners http://www.acp-international.com/
The Association of Contingency Planners (ACP) is a non-profit trade association dedicated to fostering continued professional growth and development in effective Contingency & Business Resumption Planning.
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRA): http://www.ashrae.org/homelandsecurity
Risk Management Guidance for Health, Safety and Environmental Security under Extraordinary Incidents
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH): http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bldvent/2002-139.html
Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Update
Influenza A (H5N1) virus – also called “H5N1 virus” – occurring mainly in birds, is highly contagious among birds, and can be deadly to them. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans. At this point, a highly powerful strain of avian influenza, named H5N1, is affecting people who live in close quarters with their flocks throughout Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. The United States has had no reports of the H5N1 strain. Nonetheless, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, scientists are concerned that H5N1 virus one day could be able to infect humans and spread easily from one person to another.
Health professionals are concerned that the continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian H5N1 virus across Asia and other countries represents a significant threat to human health. The H5N1 virus has raised concerns about a potential human pandemic because:
-
It is especially virulent
-
It is being spread by migratory birds
-
It can be transmitted from birds to mammals and in some limited circumstances to humans, and
-
Like other influenza viruses, it continues to evolve.
Guidance Documents & Websites
PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
Pandemic Flu www.pandemicflu.gov Visit the official U.S. government website for pandemic influenza. Comprehensive government-wide information on pandemic influenza and avian influenza. In the event of a pandemic, this will be the authoritative site for U.S. government information on the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States Government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans.
Avian Flu: Worker Health and Safety (CDC Presentation) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/avianflu/pdfs/AI%20Delaney2005.pdf
Lisa J. Delaney of the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health discusses avian influenza information about responder recommendations, medical guidance for poultry workers, and guidance on personal protective equipment.
Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Planning Update http://hr.blr.com/HR_docs/content/18146_103.pdf In this March 2006 publication, the Department of Health and Human Services provides an update on its preparations for a pandemic flu.
Defense & Technology Paper 38 Weathering the Storm
Leading Your Organization Through a Pandemic Stephen Prior, Robert Armstrong, and Ford Rowan
with Mary Beth Hill Harmon
Available through Center for Technology and National Security Policy. 77 pages of thought provoking information to help you and your company become more prepared in case of emergency. Worksheets, links, poster and much more. Download entire booklet (.pdf 836 kb.)
