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Companies Seek to Inoculate Themselves From a Flu Pandemic

Posted on: Friday, 16 December 2005, 15:00 CST

By KAWANZA NEWSON

About 60 Milwaukee business leaders listened intently as city health officials outlined how a flu pandemic could affect their companies.

High employee absenteeism because of illness or caring for loved ones, inability to transport their products and loss of electricity, water or gas service were among the things to consider.

"Pandemic flu isn't flu as usual, nor is it business as usual," said Paul Biedrzycki, the Milwaukee Health Department's manager of disease control and prevention.

Biedrzycki was one of two keynote speakers Thursday at the Pandemic Influenza Business Summit, a morning meeting sponsored by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and the Milwaukee Health Department at the University Club of Milwaukee.

He spoke to representatives of the area's largest companies and agencies considered essential to maintaining critical services within the city. Some of the guests included Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., We Energies, GE Healthcare, Miller Brewing Co., Journal Communications Inc. and Marshall & Ilsley Corp. Journal Communications owns the Journal Sentinel.

Bevan Baker, the city's health commissioner, said meetings with small businesses, faith-based institutions and non-profit agencies will likely occur in the coming months.

Thursday's summit came after a request Dec. 6 by the U.S. departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security that encouraged businesses to take part in pandemic planning preparations.

"In order to ensure maximum preparedness, your business should develop specific plans for the ways that you would protect your employees and maintain operations during a pandemic," the letter states.

Milwaukee's Health Department began its pandemic planning in spring 2004. The plan is in revision but includes sections about mass quarantine and isolation; vaccine and anti-viral drug distribution and security measures; and maintenance of essential government, health and medical services.

Although area hospitals have simulated different scenarios to figure out what they need to do to be ready for a dramatic surge in illness, the idea of planning for a flu pandemic was novel for most businesses at the morning meeting. Still, they agreed it was a necessity.

"We've always looked at buildings, infrastructure and security," said Jane Herman, director of business continuity planning at Northwestern Mutual. "It's new for us to look at losing people to illness and death."

Herman, who also spoke during the session, said that her company began its planning in June and has ordered 40,000 special breathing masks for employees, and purchased hand sanitizers, antiseptic wipes and packages of tissue for employee gift bags.

Northwestern Mutual has more than 5,000 employees and has identified 1,500 positions that are part of the company's "critical business processes," meaning the areas for mandatory staffing during a pandemic, Herman said.

The masks will allow the 1,500 employees to work daily for two months, she said.

At We Energies, the business contingency planning group is adding pandemic planning to its discussions, said Wendy Parks, spokeswoman for the company.

"We already have plans in place to avoid disruptions in our business," she said. "But we're still digging down to get some specifics worked out."

TIPS FOR BUSINESSES

The Health Department is recommending that all Milwaukee businesses consider the following:

-- Reviewing or developing infection control policies.

-- Telecommuting options.

-- Identifying essential functions and staff.

-- Cross-training staff to maintain services.

-- Educating employees about pandemic influenza and good hygiene practices such as frequent hand-washing, keeping your hands away from your nose and mouth and staying home from work or school if sick.

Copyright 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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