Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Warning bird flu may decimate workforce
May 16, 2006 - 1:54PM
A bird flu pandemic could sideline up to 40 per cent of the Australian workforce and businesses must prepare for an outbreak, an infection specialist has warned.
Alan McLean said the threat of a bird flu outbreak was real and bosses should be prepared for massive staff shortages that could grind essential services to a halt.
Mr McLean, manager of clinical quality and safety with the South Australian Ambulance Service, is speaking at a Safety in Action conference in Melbourne.
He said employers, particularly of smaller companies, underestimated the effect a bird flu pandemic would have on their businesses.
"A pandemic will affect everyone and not just when they're at work, and there's a need for the business community to be prepared," he said.
"If you look at some of the Australian (bird flu) planning, it's saying that businesses could expect to lose up to 40 per cent of their staff in a pandemic.
"There's also the other complicating factor of people staying home from work to look after family members who are sick."
Mr McLean said Australia was closer to a pandemic now than at any time in the past 35 years.
If a bird flu outbreak hit, the nation faced staff shortages for up to three months that could close schools and public transport and interfere with the delivery of food and other essential services," he said.
"You can do without some things for a few weeks ... but how would we go if there was no rubbish collection for eight weeks? We wouldn't consider that an essential service except in the context of a nationwide pandemic."
To protect their business from the effect of a pandemic, employers must develop business continuity plans with provisions for 40 per cent absenteeism, Mr McLean said.
Education was vital and bosses must encourage staff to stay at home if they feel unwell and enforce basic hygiene standards - including washing hands and coughing etiquette - to prevent the virus spreading, he said.
"I think we're going to struggle during a pandemic anyway, but the struggle would be much less if businesses were prepared," Mr McLean said.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Natio...imate-workforce/2006/05/16/1147545310018.html
May 16, 2006 - 1:54PM
A bird flu pandemic could sideline up to 40 per cent of the Australian workforce and businesses must prepare for an outbreak, an infection specialist has warned.
Alan McLean said the threat of a bird flu outbreak was real and bosses should be prepared for massive staff shortages that could grind essential services to a halt.
Mr McLean, manager of clinical quality and safety with the South Australian Ambulance Service, is speaking at a Safety in Action conference in Melbourne.
He said employers, particularly of smaller companies, underestimated the effect a bird flu pandemic would have on their businesses.
"A pandemic will affect everyone and not just when they're at work, and there's a need for the business community to be prepared," he said.
"If you look at some of the Australian (bird flu) planning, it's saying that businesses could expect to lose up to 40 per cent of their staff in a pandemic.
"There's also the other complicating factor of people staying home from work to look after family members who are sick."
Mr McLean said Australia was closer to a pandemic now than at any time in the past 35 years.
If a bird flu outbreak hit, the nation faced staff shortages for up to three months that could close schools and public transport and interfere with the delivery of food and other essential services," he said.
"You can do without some things for a few weeks ... but how would we go if there was no rubbish collection for eight weeks? We wouldn't consider that an essential service except in the context of a nationwide pandemic."
To protect their business from the effect of a pandemic, employers must develop business continuity plans with provisions for 40 per cent absenteeism, Mr McLean said.
Education was vital and bosses must encourage staff to stay at home if they feel unwell and enforce basic hygiene standards - including washing hands and coughing etiquette - to prevent the virus spreading, he said.
"I think we're going to struggle during a pandemic anyway, but the struggle would be much less if businesses were prepared," Mr McLean said.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Natio...imate-workforce/2006/05/16/1147545310018.html
