Introduction to Business Continuity

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CIPD 12 March 2009
David Hutcheson MBCI Glen Abbot Ltd.
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Background What is a Pandemic?
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The definition and importance

• Epidemic
• Serious outbreak in a single community population
• Pandemic
• Epidemic which spreads around the world affecting
  hundreds and thousands of people
• Pandemic Flu is currently the number one risk on
  the UK Risk Register.

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Spanish flu 1918-19 20-50 million deaths
worldwide (gtWW1) 200,000 in UK
Asian flu 1957-58 1 mill deaths worldwide
Hong Kong flu 1968 1 mill deaths worldwide
Normal inter-pandemic period 39-42yrs Now 41 yrs
since last pandemic
Sudden unpredictable inevitable WHO
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How Does it Spread?
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Some Figures

• Pandemics last 1-2 years
• Come in waves
• Few months in between
• Successive waves may be more severe
• Each wave lasts about 15 weeks
• Absence rates differ between areas (flu pockets)

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Clinical Infection Rate

• The Clinical Infection Rate (CIR) is the hit
  rate of the population affected.
• This follows a standard pattern.

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WHO Alert Phases
Inter-pandemic phase Low risk of human cases 1
New virus in animals, no new human virus Higher risk of human cases 2
Pandemic alert None or limited human to human transmission 3
New virus causes human cases Evidence of increased human to human transmission 4
New virus causes human cases Evidence of significant human to human transmission 5
Pandemic Efficient and sustained human to human transmission 6
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United Kingdom Alert Levels

• When the international situation reaches WHO
  Phase 6 there will be 4 alert levels in the UK
• UK alert level 1 No cases in the UK
• UK alert level 2 Virus isolated in the UK
• UK alert level 3 Outbreak (s) in the UK
• UK alert level 4 Widespread activity across the UK

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The Myths!

• 50 of your staff will be off
• We are going to catch Avian Flu
• Tamiflu will save us
• The annual flu jab will stop it
• Doctors will prescribe antibiotics
• All those migrating birds are the problem
• Dont eat chicken!
• Its all a hype and wont happen

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Soa pandemic is the main threat to the UK
Why are HR Departments so disinterested??
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There must be a reason!

• 95 of Corporate Comms departments agreed to be
  involved first time
• 60 of Operations Departments agreed first time
• Even 40 of Finance Departments agreed!
  BUT..
• Only 15 of HR departments agreed to be involved
  first time

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You are the most critical!

• Pandemics will be an HR problem
• People will be ill, not systems
• You will be needed immediately as people ask
  questions
• You CANNOT make it up on the spot!
• This is when you will prove you are worth having!
• But you dont want to play..

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So prove me wrong!
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Aberdeen Medical Ltd

• You are a manufacturing company who produce three
  medical products
• Sutures (time critical)
• Sterilised bone wax
• Sterilised heart stents (high profit)
• 1000 employees
• 300 in each of the Production departments (see
  above)
• 70 of Production staff are women
• 60 of the women have children
• 100 in management and other back office tasks

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The Problem.....

• Your company has no Pandemic Plan
• The WHO have just declared that they are moving
  to Level 4
• You have a borrowing limit of 9M
• You are currently at 8.6M
• Your Board meets in 30 minutes
• You need to have a plan for them

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Planning Assumptions

• The number of staff off will follow the normal
  pandemic model
• Each member of staff will be off for 8-14 days
• You have a contract which means you will be sued
  if you fail to deliver your heart stents
• Sutures are dissolvable and will degrade within 7
  days if not packaged

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Target

• 10 minutes to discuss what questions staff will
  ask and what answers you should give
• 10 minutes for responses
• 10 minutes feedback and discussion

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We Have the Solution!
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Thank you!

• David Hutcheson MBCI
• Glen Abbot Ltd
• David.hutcheson_at_glenabbot.co.uk
• 01738 580580