Key Elements of a Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan

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Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Response Part
2 Key Elements of a Plan
Occupational Safety and Health Course for
Healthcare Professionals
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Who Should Have a Plan?

• All business and organizations should have an
  updated plan for a pandemic now.
• Lack of continuity planning can result in a
  cascade of failure as employers attempt to
  address the challenges of a pandemic when it
  occurs.
• Critical infrastructure / key resource industries
  have a special responsibility to plan for a
  pandemic.

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Importance of Planning

• Value of planning will make continuity of our
  healthcare services smoother and easier,
  decrease fear and anxiety among employees, and be
  supportive to the community.
• Pandemics come in multiple waves need to plan
  for disruption/challenges over a long period of
  time.
• If a plan has been developed, important to update
  on a regular basis.

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Critical Infrastructure Key Resources

• 85 of the nations critical infrastructure is
  in the hands of the private sector the business
  community plays a vital role in ensuring national
  pandemic preparedness and response.

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Critical Infrastructure Key Resource
Organizations

• Critical Infrastructure Key
  Resources
• Food Agriculture
  Govt facilities
• Public Health Healthcare
  Dams
• Banking Finance
  Commercial Facilities
• Water Energy
  Nuclear Power Plant
• Defense Industrial Base
• Emergency Services
• Information Technology
• Telecommunications
• Postal Shipping
• Transportation
• http//www.flu.gov/plan/pdf/CIKRpandemicinfluenz
  aGuide.pdf

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Your Preparedness Plan First Steps

• The most difficult step is the first one.
• Who is your planning team?
• Organize and identify a central team of people
  to serve as a communication source so that
  employees, customers/clients, suppliers, the
  community can have accurate information during
  the crisis.
• Work with community planners agencies to
  integrate a pandemic plan into local and state
  planning.

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First Steps (cont)

• Work with employees and their union(s) to address
  all relative HR policies/procedures, including
  leave, pay, transportation, travel, childcare,
  absence and other human resource issues.
• Plan for downsizing some services but also
  anticipate any scenario which may require a surge
  in services.
• Prepare and plan for operations with a reduced or
  changed workforce.

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Key Business Planning Issues

• 1. Essential Functions
• Financial/Operations
• Supply Chain
• Security
• 2. Human Resources
• 3. Communication/ Information Technology
• 4. Community and government
• 5. Employee Needs and Education

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1. Essential Functions A. Financial and
operational functions

• What aspect(s) of your services will see a
  surge/increase?
• What aspect(s) will experience a decline/reduced
  need?
• Plan needs to address how financial processes
  will be managed during a pandemic.
• How will operations, with reduced staff, be
  managed?

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1. Essential Functions B. Supplies

• Supply chain in a pandemic will be disrupted,
  slower, inaccessible in some cases.
• Who are your suppliers, and what are your
  alternate sources?
• What do you need, what can be stockpiled
  safely?
• What are your current and potential storage
  capabilities?

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Stockpiling

• Stockpile items such as soap, tissue, hand
  sanitizer, cleaning supplies and recommended
  personal protective equipment (will not be able
  to access extra in a Pandemic situation).
• Stockpile essential materials for your business
  to continue consider your current needs,
  project over a number of weeks, look at alternate
  sources.
• When stockpiling items, be aware of each
  products shelf life and storage conditions and
  incorporate product rotation into your stockpile
  management program.
• Resources Respirator and Facemask Stockpiling
  Guidance available on osha.gov

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1. Essential Functions C. Security

• In the midst of a pandemic influenza there will
  be widespread panic and fear.
• Your business location may be seen as a resource
  or haven.
• Control of cash access and material goods.
• Control of entry and exit points.
• Employee and customer safety at all times.

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Security Concerns

• We will all be dealing with distressed
  individuals, less accessibility to services and
  fewer staff overall, dealing with a scared and
  potentially combative public.
• Provide training to security personnel.
• Coordinate with local and state agencies.

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2. Human Resources

• Most challenging area of your plan.
• Staff shortages will occur.
• What are your critical staff needs?
• What other resources are available when critical
  staff are not there?
• What will you need from employees are they
  cross-trained?

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Human Resources Policy Considerations

• Sick leave do you encourage staff to stay home
  when they are sick?
• If employees are sick at work, what is your
  current policy?
• Will you mandate preventive measures, including
  vaccinations for staff?
• How is all of this communicated to staff i.e.
  protection of other workers, customers.
• Policy consideration when employees families
  are ill or schools close, what can you offer?
• Clear, well communicated business policies will
  support the control of worker and customer
  exposure and promote safety and continuity of
  service.

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3. Communication and Information Technology

• Communicating with employees critical part of
  the plan.
• Communicating accurate data and updates,
  policies, and support mechanisms.
• Communicating with the community agencies, state
  and local groups, and customers.
• What are your current IT capabilities? What
  will you need for IT support in the midst of a
  pandemic influenza?

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Information Technology

• Must plan in advance for easy connectivity/compati
  bility with emergency services, law enforcement,
  public health services, government agencies.
• During a Pandemic, all businesses and employees
  will increase their reliance and use of
  information technology for updated information,
  to replace meetings, to education and share
  information with employees, to support employees
  working from home, to access experts, contact
  family, etc.
• Plan for the increase in use of all information
  technology.

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Information Technology

• What are your current IT capabilities?
• What will you need for IT support in the midst
  of a pandemic influenza?
• Telephone/cell phone capacity in your area, for
  your business?

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4. Community Government

• What plans currently exist in your
  community/state?
• Access information from all of the government
  websites, contacts.
• How can you get involved in community planning?
• Are there other businesses you can collaborate
  with on your planning?

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5.Employee Needs Education

• Some employees will have individual risk factors
  that should be considered (e.g.,
  immuno-compromised individuals and pregnant
  women).
• Assist employees in managing additional stressors
  related to the pandemic (mental health, family
  situations).
• Access to health professionals making it easy
  and close to work environment.

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Employee Needs

• Consider community volunteers to support
  employees.
• Plan Human Resource approaches, responses,
  supports.
• Consider employee needs for food, housing, places
  to rest, child care.
• Provide information on how where they can
  access health services.
• Social psychological support services for
  employees, family members.

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5. Employee Education

• Critical importance of education for employees
  in your business
• the hazards they may encounter.
• definitions and facts about influenza and
  pandemics.
• safety measures, daily hygiene practices.
• use of PPE.
• the organizations pandemic influenza
  plan.
• their accountability for complying with
  policies related to hygiene and cleaning, as well
  as anything specific to their role/responsibilitie
  s.

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Personal Protective Equipment

• Need to assure employees that they will have the
  necessary PPE while at work.
• Key what is appropriate based on their tasks,
  role, and contact with the general public.
• Monitoring compliance?
• Access to equipment/supplies?

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Part of assessing employee needs

• Exposure Risk Assessment for each task and role
  that employees carry out at each site/location
  of work.
• Utilize the OSHA Risk Pyramid and guidance
  materials.
• Assess risk if there are any changes in your
  business over time new services, new locations,
  etc.

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OSHA Risk Assessment Pyramid
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Employee roles and risk

• Very High Exposure Risk
• Performing aerosol-generating procedures on
  known/suspected pandemic patients.
• HCW/lab staff collecting or handling specimens
  from known or suspected pandemic patients.
• High Exposure Risk
• HCW and support staff exposed to known or
  suspected pandemic patients.
• Medical transport of known or suspected pandemic
  patients in enclosed vehicles.
• Performing autopsies on known or suspected
  pandemic patient(s).
• Medium Exposure Risk
• Employees with high-frequency close contact with
  the general population (e.g., schools,
  high-volume retail).
• Lower Exposure Risk (Caution)
• Employees who have minimal close contact with the
  general public and other coworkers (e.g., office
  workers).

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To help eliminate/reduce exposure Know the
Hierarchy of Controls

• Engineering controls involve making changes to
  the work environment to reduce work-related
  hazards.
• Work practice controls are procedures for safe
  and proper work that are used to reduce the
  duration, frequency or intensity of exposure to a
  hazard.
• Administrative controls include controlling
  employees' exposure by scheduling their work
  tasks in ways that minimize their exposure
  levels.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes all
  clothing and other work accessories designed to
  create a barrier against workplace hazards.

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Additional Aspects of a Plan

• Outpatient services and clinics how will your
  employees access healthcare? (estimated 45
  million will seek outpatient care in a pandemic
  event)
• Alternate Business Care Sites who/what can
  help your organization deal with a surge in need
  for services/goods?

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Community Plans

• Many communities do have a pandemic preparedness
  plan many do not.
• Having a Preparedness Team that represents all
  relevant stakeholders in the community.
• Follow the state plans gain from state and
  national efforts.
• Planning for the potential impact how will it
  affect usual activities, processes, and services
  both business and social?

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Who might be a relevant stakeholder?

• Government
• Public health
• Other Healthcare agencies and emergency response
• Education
• Business
• Communication
• Agriculture
• Faith-based organizations
• Community-based groups

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Community Planning

• If a plan does exist, it may need to be updated.
• Connectivity and collaboration between business,
  government, and community leaders will be
  critical in a pandemic.
• Examples
• State and Local Planning Guide use available
  resources.
• Most important Get involved!

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Community Planning- a few measures

• Encouraging people who are ill to stay home.
• If family members are ill, encourage other family
  to stay home for 5-7 days.
• Schools to dismiss students to home for up to 12
  weeks (dependent on severity of the event)
• Promote Social Distancing practices.
• Travel may be disrupted, including use of mass
  transportation systems.
• Large social gatherings may be discouraged and/or
  cancelled.
• Sharing accurate information throughout the
  community.

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Faith-based and Community Organization
Preparedness Planning

• Collaboration with public health and government
  agencies will be very important.
• Assess potential impact of a pandemic on usual
  activities/events, and services delivered to
  members.
• How could services and activities be managed and
  still reduce exposure and spread of an influenza
  virus?
• Develop emergency procedures, plans.
• Communicate share the up-to-date, accurate
  information and dispel myths.
• Encourage preventive measures as recommended by
  national and state government agencies.

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Family Plans

• What are we doing to prepare our families for a
  pandemic?
• Do we encourage prevention now among our family
  members?
• Share information facts help to dispel fear.
• Family Planning Guide available resources.
• Key plan now, so that there will be less stress
  and worry during the pandemic.

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Planning with our Families

• Storing a two week supply of water, food, and
  necessary supplies.
• Prescription and non-prescription medications be
  certain to have a readily-accessible and
  continuous supply.
• Plan with family and friends about how you and
  they would be cared for if they get sick.
• Teach everyone how to limit spread!
• Access preventive interventions.

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Be Proactive and Realistic

• Many businesses have grown because of positive
  relationships with their customers.
• Have to help employees maintain these
  relationships with each other and their
  customers, even in the midst of restrictions
  and fears.
• Recognize everyones accountability to prevent
  spread and mitigate negative health outcomes.

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Develop/Update the Plan for your organization

• Recognize the critical importance of planning in
  order to protect workers and customers, continue
  business.
• Engaging others is not always easy.
• Until recently, a Pandemic influenza event may
  have seemed unreal to many and now?
• Share your information!
• Gather the latest statistics draw the picture
  for our world, our country, state, community,
  your organization.
• Make the event real, make the plan realistic.
• Practice!

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Lets Remember why we are doing all of thisTo
Protect Our Employees, Continue our Healthcare
Services, Protect our Families the Community

• Develop, reassess and update a disaster/business
  continuity plan that addresses Pandemic
  Influenza.
• Strongly encourage all prevention strategies.
• Monitor and promote good hygiene practices.
• Monitor compliance with use of PPE.
• Get involved in your communitys planning
  efforts.

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Questions?

• Any additional areas that you want to add to the
  Plan?
• Lets look at the Planning checklists that are in
  your handouts.
• Make a Planning List that is specific to your
  organization make it relevant for your work and
  your employees.