THE CRISIS MANAGER

THE CRISIS MANAGER

10.1            When preparing your business for a pandemic such as Bird Flu, it is imperative to nominate a Crisis Manager or Influenza Manager to 'own' or 'champion' the Company's planning and response, and who will be responsible for workplace health and safety. In larger organisations, more than one Crisis Manager or Influenza Manager should be involved, although a senior individual must the central point or 'head' and be responsible for the training and management of the departmental Crisis Managers.

10.2            Some of the responsibilities of the Crisis Manager/Influenza Manager will include:

10.2.1            Setting up a crisis system to monitor staff who are ill or suspected to be ill in the event of a pandemic, including contacting staff who are unexpectedly absent from work - has their doctor been notified of their illness? Have "contact" issues been addressed? Is someone able to care for them?

10.2.2            Setting up and maintaining staff emergency contact records for communication purposes. This will also include retired or ex employees who can be called upon to temporarily take over the workload should staff fall sick when no other in the company can or is able take on the additional workload.

10.2.3            Crisis managing stockpiles of equipment, including acquisition, storage, distribution, monitoring usage and re-ordering.

10.2.4            Ensure workstations are properly cleaned and disinfected by cleaning staff if employees become ill at work.

10.2.5            Crisis manage the communications with staff before during and after the pandemic including the placement and upkeep of notices, signs and warnings regarding the pandemic stages and general memos to staff regarding hygiene.

10.2.6            Crisis manage customers, clients, suppliers, the media and any other external parties updated on the Company's continuity preparations to instill confidence that the Company will, as much as possible, be able to sustain a 'business as usual' stance throughout the disruption period.

10.2.7            Keep customers, clients, suppliers and any other external parties updated on the Company's crisis response to the pandemic outbreak, and its ongoing recovery throughout the pandemic period.

10.2.8            Offer crisis support to staff and show concern at their well being and show contingency leadership.

10.2.9            Setting up a process to facilitate/encourage the return of staff to work once they are better or at the end of a quarantine period; and ensuring that the workplace has adequate supplies of tissues, medical and hand hygiene products, cleaning supplies and masks for people who become ill at work. It may be difficult to purchase such products once a pandemic begins. See Supply Shortages

10.3            The Crisis Manager/Influenza Manager's full role will vary from company to company, however these basic generic responsibilities span all company types and sizes.

10.4            As a pandemic could last many months and may contain peaks followed by periods of reduced illness, the Crisis Manager/Influenza Manager's role will be ongoing and will continue throughout the pandemic period to a point in which local Government and the WHO declare the pandemic over. Estimates suggest this period to last at least 18 months.

10.5            What kind of individual or job position should be tasked with the role of Crisis Manager/Influenza Manager? Consider the following attributes:

10.5.1         The individual needs to be senior enough in the organisation in order to get organisational buy in.

10.5.2         He or she should be one who 'likes to get out there' and mix with the staff, has a good idea of what goes on in the office and which individuals would be in a position to assist.

10.5.3         He or she should be a good communicator.

10.5.4         The individual needs respected leadership skills

10.5.5         The Crisis Manager/Influenza manager's job position lends authority to the cause.

10.5.6         He or she has a sound understanding of workplace Health and Safety, with an appreciation of regulatory requirements.

10.5.7         Examples include PA to CEO, departmental heads, existing Crisis Managers, operational heads and business owners.

10.6            As planning for Bird Flu involves all areas of a business's operations, consideration should also be given to setting up a Task Force involving expertise throughout the organisation. This will be especially important when plans involving one discipline will impact on others.

10.7            Make Bird Flu Contingency Preparations as an agenda item throughout the organisation hierarchy. All levels should of the Company should be aware of your Bird Flu preparations and what their role is to assist.

10.8            As in all Workforce Management back up preparations, consider someone to take over the role of Crisis Manager/Influenza Manager should the incumbent Crisis Manager/Influenza Manager(s) becomes absent or not in a position to fullfil his/her duties.





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