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»Issue 5, Volume 07 www.scarbrough-intl.com » May 2007 |
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SCARBROUGH NEWS The Pandemic Flu and Business Continuity You’ve probably heard about the pandemic influenza, which is also known as the pandemic flu. Some of the things you’ve heard may even frighten you. You may be ignoring the whole thing, or you might not know what to think. Because flu pandemics are cyclical and we have not experienced one in quite some time experts around the world think that another flu pandemic will soon strike causing millions to get sick or worse. This could possibly affect you, your family and even the company you work for. Now, it is important to remember that there is a big difference between the seasonal flu and a pandemic flu. Most individuals have experienced the seasonal flu and know the symptoms that come along with it. Pandemic flu symptoms typically are more severe and are accompanied by additional complications. The pandemic flu is caused by mutated versions of the seasonal flu and it spreads very easily from human-to-human because humans have little or no immunity to it. In the 20th century there were three major influenza pandemics that killed millions of people. In 1918 the Spanish Flu killed tens of millions including at least 500,000 in the U.S. alone. In 1957 the Asian flu killed around 2 million people including 70,000 in the U.S. The most recent flu pandemic occurred in 1968. This was the Hong Kong Flu and it killed up to 1 million people while claiming 34,000 U.S. residents. There has been a recent scare called “H5N1” an Avian Flu, also known as the bird flu. This is normally found in wild migratory birds such as ducks and geese, and domesticated birds such as chickens. There have only been a few reports of human infection and even fewer reports of possible human-to-human transmission. So although the avian bird flu could possibly be deadly, it is not considered to be a pandemic flu. What if one of these pandemic flu viruses did spread throughout our homes and communities? What would happen to us? Would we be able to stop it? Could we continue to live our normal everyday lives? How would it affect our homes, communities and jobs? The short answer is, there is no short answer. The pandemic flu is just what it is, pandemic. If uncontrolled, America would feel severe repercussions, especially corporate America. If the majority of workers are sick, who will run our businesses? Mass sickness could cause businesses to shut down and business continuity would be shattered. When very few people can make it into work, businesses need to have a plan that will allow them to continue their everyday processes with little or no problems. In the instance of a pandemic influenza, BCP (business continuity planning) becomes extremely important important. Many employees may not be able to make it in due to illness, fear of contagion or caring for sick family members. We here at Scarbrough have such a plan that will give us the ability to continue our operations in the most dire situations. In our industry we know communication is essential and that is why our internet based software allows our employees to complete a normal day’s work from their own house when necessary. Our email is accessible offsite as well. Phone conferencing allows for departmental meetings even if we are unable to make it in to the office and a call tree guarantees that the proper procedural instructions are passed down to all employees. We take comfort in knowing that our business can continue normal operations even if we are faced with complications such as a depleted workforce. We’ve taken the time to ensure that our customers will never have to worry about Scarbrough’s capability to operate. It’s this continuing dedication that helps us to be “Big Enough To Meet Your Needs…Small Enough To Care”. -- Jared Smith, Import Customer Service Representative |
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" 'Simply the Best', both personally and professionally is the cornerstone of our culture." |
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Copyright © Scarbrough International, Ltd. |
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