Swine flu threatens more than illness

In Mexico, the situation is more critical, and not only for retailers and manufacturers. At Grupo LM&S, Assurex Global's Mexican broker partner, the response to the outbreak was quick and organized, said Paloma Landa Gonzalez, manager of the international division. "LM&S is located in the Polanco area of Mexico City, which is well known for its restaurants, shops and offices," she said. "Although our offices are not closed, we have implemented a business continuity plan which involves most of our employees working from their homes. The employees working in the office are wearing face masks and observing all the official ways to prevent the disease."

Although so far LM&S has not received any formal requests for advice from its clients, "we are advising all customers to stay informed and follow all the necessary preventive measures as well as to activate a contingency plan for their business and, depending on the activity engaged, work from home," Gonzalez said. "We're also constantly reporting to our clients and employees the signs and symptoms of the swine flu, as well as means of transmission, risk and ways to prevent the disease."

The situation in Mexico also has serious implications for U.S. businesses, especially those with a supply chain coming from that country, Rhulen said. The spread of the virus, and the risk of pandemic, triggered Firestorm's communicable illness plan for its clients. Certain plans start with mandating warehouse workers to wear gloves and masks when handling incoming stock, for example. Firestorm clients have stockpiles of gloves, masks and, in some cases, the drug Tamiflu. Plans also include cleaning protocols and products. Employee education and testing is another important aspect, including social distancing rules for face-to-face contact and the restriction of discretionary travel.

"An example of a client which could benefit significantly from communicable illness planning is the National Renewable Energy Lab," Rhulen said. "NREL typically has a lot of foreign professors and visitors coming and going. Their awareness of the exposure and the implementation of their communicable illness plan will allow them to take a slightly different approach to screening and admitting these visitors and overseeing the travel of their employees."

Businesses that already have a plan in place to deal with avian bird flu will be well prepared as the swine flu scenario evolves, said Michael Liebowitz, director of insurance and risk management at New York University and former president of RIMS.

"The real clear message that needs to go out is that businesses must provide their employees with open, honest and simple communication to prevent the spread of disease in the workplace and in the general community, such as basic hand-washing habits," he said.

Communication should begin with a business's human resource department in developing policies that specifically address communicable diseases, such as mandating sick employees to stay home.

Businesses must also look at where their operations are, and what to do about employees who may already be deployed in high-risk areas. "If these people are in a country and they close the borders due to the disease, we need to know how we'll get them out," he said.

Finally, businesses should examine their internal organization to assess its exposure to a pandemic. "I'm dealing with a university made up of students, faculty and staff, including students that are residing here," Liebowitz said. "We had to determine what we need to do to keep them informed on how to protect themselves against illness and use their health care benefits."

Agents and brokers should view the current health crisis as a warning call for themselves and their clients to prepare for a more serious pandemic, such as the long-watched H5N1 avian flu strain. And while a long-term goal of updating and expanding crisis management and business continuity plans is essential, businesses can take several immediate steps to protect employees, customers, supply chain partners, additional stakeholders and business assets, said Gisele Norris, DrPH, national director of Aon Healthcare's alternative risk practice:

• Determine availability of backup suppliers to ensure supply chain is uninterrupted
• Look at succession planning for all levels of the organization
• Create a process for cascading critical messages to employees
• Develop a protocol to facilitate home working arrangements for employees
• Inform employees of any travel protocols/restrictions in place.
• Construct an action plan should an employee be suspected of having A/H1N1 swine influenza when he/she is at work, or if an employee is suspected and has been in the workplace 3 to 4 days before the onset of symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control reports almost 100 confirmed U.S. cases of swine flu as of April 29. The virus is spreading rapidly across Europe, spurring the World Health Organization to move its alert level closer to a pandemic. But the big news is happening in Mexico, where swine flu has already killed more than 150 people and infected 2,500.

This week the Mexican government closed all schools through at least May 6, and hard-hit Mexico City canceled public events and closed some businesses such as restaurants and theaters through at least May 6.