Time is running out for local businesses to put together a Pandemic Preparedness plan.
That is the warning from the Director of National Security and Public Safety for the Conference Board of Canada.
Speaking with Bayshore Broadcasting News — Trevor Munn-Venn says their report says the H1N1 Pandemic could have serious consequences for business this fall when its expected to become more severe.
Munn-Venn says business leaders should be communicating with their workers about the impact the pandemic will have on the organization on the employees themselves.
He says the employees need to know how to avoid getting the flu, how to avoid spreading it and most importantly need to know management wants them to stay home if they become ill to avoid infecting the entire company.
Munn-Venn says for some companies, the severity of the impact of the flu can be reduced by having employees work from home, if they have the computer systems that can allow that.
However he says for many businesses that simply is not an option.
Munn-Venn says if you are in retail or manufacturing you cannot do your job from your home computer.
He says in that case, those organizations must become very focused on preventing the spread of the flu by hand washing, keeping work surfaces sanitized and minimize contact with other people if possible.
Munn-Venn says the Conference Board’s message is clear.
The Pandemic is here right now and the issue is how bad will it get this fall and how much quicker will it spread in the community and what type of negative impact will that have on business.
Munn-Venn says there is a small window of opportunity now for Businesses to get a Pandemic preparedness plan in place before the fall, when it will be too late.