Establish a pandemic planning team or Influenza Manager for your business to coordinate and monitor influenza pandemic issues and to advise you on relevant developments.
Identify your critical business processes and rank them in order of importance.
Identify your essential physical, human, and financial resources needed to continue these critical business processes and any interdependencies you have on others (e.g. suppliers and distributors, etc).
Develop contingency plans for continuation of critical business processes, at less than full capacity. In doing this, you should plan for a situation where you might lose 30–50% of your staff at the peak of the pandemic and prepare for a 2nd and 3rd wave of absenteeism.
Contingency plans might include training staff in alternative roles, and making arrangements for staff to work from home.
Consider alternative suppliers or stockpiling essential inputs.
Develop standard operating procedures so everyone knows how to do different tasks.
Capture and store all critical information where it can be easily accessed.
As part of developing your Business Continuity Plan consider the following:
- a possible change in the level of demand of your products/services during a pandemic (e.g. hygiene supplies will be in demand, but events management may not be due to restrictions on mass gatherings);
- variations in product lines or product mix;
- the effects of a downturn in business on financial flows;
- purchasing personal protective equipment and developing a plan for their distribution;
- measures to contain the spread of the virus by reducing workers contact with others (use of mini bus or car pooling rather than crowded public transport);
- alternative child care arrangements for essential staff (given child care centres may close);
- tapping into a health information telephone service; and
- alternative distribution mechanisms that would reduce the need for staff movements.
Update employee’s personal and contact information, including emergency contact phone numbers and next of kin.
Establish policies for employee leave, compensation, evacuating employees in and near infected areas, how to deal with those exposed to pandemic influenza and those who become ill (e.g. immediate mandatory sick leave).
Communicate your preparedness planning to your staff and develop protocols for communications with staff during each phase.
Prepare to disseminate personnel health information that might reduce the risk of the spread of the virus (hand washing, sneezing/coughing etiquette, and use of cleaning products).
Develop a visitor’s policy that would become operational during a pandemic.
Undertake other preparations—review and service air conditioning systems to ensure the workplace is well ventilated, enhance IT networks (if required) to ensure they are capable of supporting your contingency plans such as working from home, and establish mechanisms for staff communication such as web pages and hotlines.
Arrange access to staff counselling services.
Review insurance coverage for a pandemic—are you adequately covered for business cessation, voluntary closure, mandatory closure, loss of income, or liability for spread of disease amongst staff? If not, are there alternative insurance providers of this type of coverage?
Plan for temporary business closure if your service is not essential.
Check what health services will be available in your area and note the DoHA hotline number 1800 004599 and website for updated information www.health.gov.au/pandemic

Phase 1 Overseas:

No new influenza subtypes detected in humans. An influenza virus subtype that has caused human infection or disease is present in animals overseas. The risk of human infection or disease is considered to be low.

Businesses involved in using bird products sourced overseas should monitor thesituation and establish liaison mechanisms with AQIS and Customs for informationabout how this situation might affect their business (e.g. feather products, fertilisers, and tinned food products, etc).

Phase 1 Australia:

No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans. An influenza virus subtype that has caused human infection or disease is present in animals in Australia. The risk of human infection or disease is considered to be low.

Businesses involved in using bird products domestically should monitor the situation and establish liaison mechanisms with DAFF, AQIS and DoHA for information about how this situation might affect their business (e.g. fertilisers, feather products, etc).
Businesses involved in chicken, duck, wild bird, and egg production (food industry) should follow DAFF, AQIS and DoHA guidelines for personnel protective measures to minimise the possibility of human infection of workers and make themselves aware of the farm biosecurity and disease recognition and reporting requirements for their bird stocks (see www.daff.gov.au and www.outbreak.gov.au ).
Businesses that serve fresh bird products (restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, delicatessens) should ensure all bird meat and products are cooked as per DoHA’s instructions to ensure they do not pose a risk for human infection.

Phase 2 Overseas:

No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans. However, the presence of a circulating animal influenza virus subtype overseas poses a substantial risk of human disease.

Provide staff likely to travel overseas with information on how to prevent them from getting ill (e.g. personal health information) and where they may seek medical advice overseas if they feel ill.
Staff travelling should regularly check travel advisories from DFAT at www.smartraveller.gov.au

Phase 2 Australia:

No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans. However, the presence of a circulating animal influenza virus subtype in Australia poses a substantial risk of human disease.

Businesses that use or sell bird products should regularly check the www.outbreak.gov.au website for the latest information on preventative actions.

Phase 3 Overseas: (Current level of alert overseas)

Human infection(s) with a new subtype overseas, but no human to human spread, or at most rare instances of spread to close contact.

Regularly monitor DFAT travel advisories on www.smartraveller.gov.au if any of your staff are intending to travel overseas.
Make alternative arrangements for business meetings, other than travel (e.g. video conferencing, online forums, etc) or delay your trip, where possible.
Continue to provide staff travelling overseas with information on how to prevent them from getting ill (e.g. personal health information) and where they may seek medical advice overseas if they feel ill.

Phase 3 Australia:

Human infection(s) with a new subtype in Australia, but no human to human spread, or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact.

Test contingency plans and containment measures for your business.
Start educating staff with personal health messages on display in the workplace.
Purchase personal protective equipment, if likely to be needed.

Phase 4 Overseas:

Small cluster(s) consistent with limited human to human transmission overseas, but spread is highly localised, suggesting the virus is not well adapted to humans.

Consider not going or perhaps delaying overseas travel to areas with cases of human infection.
If you (or your staff) must travel overseas, familiarise yourself with personal health information on hand washing, coughing, eating, and take some masks to lessen the opportunity for infection.

Phase 4 Australia:

Small cluster(s) consistent with limited human to human transmission in Australia but spread is highly localised, suggesting the virus is not well adapted to humans.

Consider limiting business travel to areas where cases of human infection, have occurred if possible. Use alternative methods of contact with these areas where practicable (phone, video conferencing, online forums, etc). If not possible, ensure staff travelling to those areas are aware of practical measures to reduce the risk of their getting ill and that they know what to do if they do become ill away from home.
Implement remote work arrangements, in areas where there have been cases of human infection, if viable for your business.
Alert staff to the possibility of a pandemic and the actions they should take to reduce the risk of infection.
In affected areas, consider isolating the air circulation heating/cooling system into discrete areas to avoid contamination and introduce additional cleaning and disinfecting (e.g. handrails, door handles, lift controls, telephones, and rubbish bins).

Phase 5 Overseas:

Larger cluster(s) overseas but human to human spread still localised, suggesting that the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans, but may not yet be fully transmissible (substantial pandemic risk).

If you have any non-essential staff located overseas, arrange for them to return to Australia. (If the virus spreads quickly they may not be able to return to Australia, when they are ready to do so.)
Essential workers needing to remain overseas should be provided with personal protective equipment, and advised to limit their contact with others, if possible.
They should regularly monitor the DoHA, WHO and Centers for Disease Control websites for updated information on how to help ensure they do not become ill.
Maintain close contact with staff overseas who have been infected or exposed to avian/pandemic influenza and provide whatever support is available.

Phase 5 Australia:

Larger cluster(s) but human to human spread still localised in Australia, suggesting that the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans, but may not yet be fully transmissible (substantial pandemic risk).

Obtain the latest information from you Pandemic Influenza Manager or from the DoHA, WHO and Centers for Disease Control websites and communicate it to your staff.
Establish regular staff briefings on developments—may be in writing, via email, online or teleconferencing—to reduce the need for group gatherings.
Where possible, implement work from home arrangements, in affected areas.
Where possible, reduce staff travel to affected areas, use alternative non face-to-face means to complete activities.
In affected areas, introduce restrictions on customer entry to the workplace and install protective barriers to distance any person-to-person interaction.
Consider closing outlets/offices in affected areas, if critical functions can be performed in other locations.
Purchase consumables for an extended period (e.g. health and cleaning consumables).
Prepare rosters for essential workers to maintain critical business processes during Phase 6, including child care arrangements if necessary.
Provide information for at-home care of potentially ill employees.
Stay in touch with government agencies and emergency services.

Phase 6 Overseas:

Increased and sustained transmission in the general population overseas —not in Australia.

Consider your own business viability and be prepared to reduce or suspend work, if your business is sufficiently interrupted, and you do not provide key services.
Be prepared for longer waits for goods imported from overseas and source alternative local products and services, if possible.
For key service providers, all pandemic plans should be well tested and ready to be implemented at short notice.

Phase 6a Australia:

Increased and sustained transmission in the general population in Australia, but cases are still localised to one area of the country.

Encourage non-essential workers to take leave rather than come to work in affected areas.
Cancel all non-essential domestic travel.
For those still working, limit meetings, group morning teas, lunches, etc.
Isolate the air circulation heating/cooling system into discrete areas to avoid contamination.
Introduce additional cleaning and disinfecting (handrails, door handles, lift controls, telephones, rubbish bins, etc).
Use personal protective equipment and protective barriers for staff in customer interactive roles. Ensure staff know how to correctly fit and dispose of protective equipment.
Ensure your workplace is secure if it closes temporarily (does not apply to essential services).
Provide health information, and direct suspected cases of pandemic influenza to their local GP (via phone in the first instance).
Encourage home quarantine of suspected cases of the virus.
Ensure you have access to finance or alternative arrangements for purchase of essential goods and services.
Claim on insurance policies, if appropriate.

Phase 6b Australia:

Increased and sustained transmission in the general population in Australia and cases are occurring in multiple regions of the country.

Non-essential workers should be told to stay at home.
Provide staff counselling services by phone or remotely.
Establish a register of staff who contract the virus and likely develop immunity.
Plan for business recovery, taking into account a possible 2nd and 3rd wave of infection.

Phase 6c Australia:

Increased and sustained transmission in the general population in Australia, but the number of cases is subsiding.

Encourage staff with immunity to return to work.

Phase 6d Australia:

The next wave of the pandemic has reached Australia indicated by an increase again in the number of cases.

Although immune staff may be protected from the initial strain, a variant may cause them to catch the mutated virus; there is a benefit in maintaining social distancing and personal health preventative measures.

Recovery Stage Australia:

Recovery of services to normal.

Repair or recover any infrastructure requiring attention.
Implement plan for resumption of full business capacity.
Seek access to government programs if eligible and available.
If a vaccine has been developed, arrange vaccination to provide protection against a possible next wave of infection.

Acronyms

DoHA Department of Health and Ageing

DAFF Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

AQIS Australian Quarantine Inspection Service

DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

WHO World Health Organization

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PANDEMIC PLANNING CHECKLIST FOR SMALL BUSINESSES