Remember SARS and the physical and emotional devastation it had on the population? How it affected the local economy? Some people died and many became afraid of going into public places, many businesses were hurt.

A little planning and preparation can help your company survive the next super bug.

Of course no one knows when the next Pandemic will hit, but history and many experts predict that it's inevitable. The SARS outbreak came out of nowhere. The rapid transmission of the virus and subsequent deaths caused public hysteria and a severe economic down-turn in many business sectors. The actual outbreak only lasted about 3 months, but the fear and rippling effects lasted for almost a year. A great number of businesses were caught off guard - without the means to adequately protect their staff and facility. Sanitation supplies quickly ran short. How would an outbreak of 6 months or longer affect you? Developing a Pandemic Plan is the only way to truly prepare for this future event.

Canada' Public health Agency reported in an Interim report (April 24, 2003) that the outbreak in the GTA proceeded through the following five major stages:

• Spread of SARS infection within the family of the index case

• Amplification of the SARS outbreak through hospital-based spread

• Transmission within immediate household members of the health care workers,    patients and visitors to these hospitals

• Isolated sporadic cases due to limited transmission in the workplace

• Transmission in an extended family and associated religious group

Using SARS as a reference

Many organizations have recognized the potential threat a Pandemic poses and have or are in the process of developing Pandemic Plans for the next SARS or Avian Flu event. Hospitals, Municipalities and large organizations have established Teams and developed plans to deal with such an event. They are cross-training personnel, in key areas to deal with any labour shortage, and have developed procedures to handle absenteeism due to illness, fear or death. They have stockpiled necessary sanitation supplies in case of disruptions in the supply chain or shortages during the first phase of the Pandemic. Much of the available surplus will be earmarked for emergency services such as hospitals, police, fire, etc. This will make it extremely difficult to acquire the necessary supplies.

What is your first line of defense?

SARS taught us a lot about developing Pandemic processes and procedures. We gained a great deal of insight into what the immediate and long term needs of clients would be.

In response to staff's fears of contracting airborne viruses and to help disinfect high touch areas (and more frequently to prevent the spread of pathogens), many contractors in the Janitorial sector will be asked to increase their cleaning programs.

Our industry will also have to deal with many internal challenges. Keeping ourselves safe and coping with illness in our own staff will be imperative. The ability to acquire long term sanitation supplies will become extremely difficult and expensive If not Impossible during this period.

Where do you start?

Good hygiene is something we should all always be diligent about, but during a Pandemic our first priority must be to keep employees from contracting the virus and spreading it to their families, friends and co-workers. The development of an employee awareness and education program and having products on-hand for immediate use during the onset of an outbreak is a very good start.

Although Health and Safety Committees may have started dealing with the possibility of the next Pandemic and how they'll handle it, I believe your Janitorial Contractor and your suppliers should also be prepared. Janitorial Contractors may be able to handle the additional workload, but if they cannot acquire the necessary supplies (approved disinfectants, N20 masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, wipes, etc.), it will be difficult for them to provide the necessary service you'll need. Regular janitorial and washroom supplies will also be difficult to acquire. The Ministry of Health recommends at least 3-4 weeks of “Jan/San” product to be stored over and above the regular quantities currently on hand. At least 1 N20 mask per employee per day for 1 month, adequate disposable of rubber gloves, approved disinfectants, to be used on all touch areas, and hand sanitizer.

Knowing what you should have is a great start. Purchasing and stocking these products will enable you to assure your staff that their welfare is being protected if the need arises. I like to think of this type of preparation as an insurance hedge - you hope you never have to use it, but you will be grateful if you ever do.

For assistance in compiling a list of products to be stockpiled, I would be more that happy to meet with you to discuss recommendations or develop a specific plan for your facility. For assistance with your Pandemic Planning, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has an excellent Pandemic Planning Tool kit that can be downloaded free of charge at: http://occ.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Pandemic-Planning-Toolkit_2009.pdf

George Kandelas
Arsenal Cleaning Services Ltd.
Satisfaction Plus!
george@arsenalcleaning.com