What are some effects of a pandemic on a business?
Possible effects on business from a pandemic can include:
- context reduced labour supply, including your regular workers or availability of contractors or temporary workers
- context reduced business or cancelled customer orders
- context interruption in getting supplies or materials (especially if goods are imported by air or land)
- context change in demands (for example, increased internet use, decreased tourism/travel, alternative methods to conduct business such as curbside pick up or delivery)
- context reductions or restrictions on public meetings or gatherings (including schools, sports, clubs, theatre, community centres, restaurants, religious gatherings, etc.)
- context restrictions on travel (regional, national, or international)
- context reduced availability of health care or home care services
- context reduced availability of child day care services
- context in more severe situations, disruptions in services such as telecommunications, financial/banking, water, electricity, gasoline/fuels, medicine, or the food supply
How do you set priorities for your plan?
In general, when creating a business continuity plan, determine what element is critical and how the loss of this element will affect the business.
When planning for your priorities, examine:
Elements of a risk assessment process may also be helpful.
- context Identify critical processes, operations, and functions.
- context Identify key internal and external dependencies – those things, people, or other businesses you rely on.
- context Identify what else can affect your business.
- context Personnel – Identify and train backups for essential functions, including chain of command (management). Be sure you have consulted with staff, including any applicable union or collective agreements.
- context Equipment – Make sure the available equipment meets the identified needs.
- context Availability of assets – Make sure that facilities, utilities, computers, machinery, or tools also meet your needs (e.g., access to internal systems by staff working from home).
- context Business commitments – Research legal implications for the level of service arrangements (e.g., for non-performance or late delivery).
- context Accounting – make sure you can continue your payroll, finances, etc.
What are elements that should be included in a business continuity plan for pandemics?
How detailed your plan is will depend on the type of business, how complex your organization is, and its size. Allow your plan to be flexible and proportional to match the level of threat that is occurring at that time. As a pandemic evolves, restrictions may be lifted or tightened, as determined by local public health officials. It may also be the case that certain geographical areas have different levels of measures in place. Your plan should include health, safety, human resources, and management elements.
Options include:
- context Document guidelines for management and business decisions – remember, anyone can get sick.
- context Create a pandemic management team that assigns who will do what tasks, establishes a chain of command, coordinates prevention activities, etc.
- context Make decisions about when to stay open, when to close to customers, when to use alternative methods to conduct business, and when to close completely.
- context Assign a person or team, where appropriate, to help assess the health of workers (e.g., if the worker may be coming down with an illness) such as by using screening checklists as provided by public health officials.
- context Cross-train workers to make sure essential functions will continue (e.g., payroll, customer service).
- context Provide handwashing facilities and/or alcohol-based hand sanitizers (of at least 60% alcohol).
- context Have a period of time between shifts to clean touch points and surfaces such as tables, door knobs, handrails, shared telephones and keyboards.
- context Have up-to-date sick leave policies. NOTE: Be aware that doctors may have limited availability to provide sick leave documentation.
- context Maintain an up-to-date list of your staff and your clients (e.g., telephone trees, call-in numbers, hot lines for information, broadcast e-mails)
- context Develop communication methods to reach all staff, especially if staff are working remotely.
- context Develop methods to conduct your business, including using the internet, cloud-based workspaces, phones, video conferencing, etc.
- context Develop methods that allow workers to use flexible work options or telework/work remotely.
- context Increase the distance between people (e.g., install a protective barrier for those working with the public, increase the distance between workstations, use larger meeting rooms, limit the number of users in a common area such as a lunch room or washroom).
- context Consider providing transportation for those staff who use public transportation.
- context Consider psychosocial issues (e.g., financial stress, caregiver burnout, occupational stresses, stigma, or social exclusion).
- context Consider postponing or cancelling face-to-face meetings (including internally) as well as unnecessary travel.
- context Create small working groups or "cohorts" (e.g., a factory may keep the same group of people together on the same shifts).
- context Document which workers were present each day to assist public health with contract tracing if a case is discovered.
Using an office setting as an example, how can the office space accommodate physical distancing requirements?
There are three key areas to consider:
The workplace should evaluate who needs to be in the office and how they will function in the space. It may not be possible to allow your normal capacity of people in the building and maintain physical distancing at the same time. Additional factors include “congestion points” such as kitchens, lockers, closets, elevators, stairs, washrooms, and emergency exits.
Public Services and Procurement Canada (2020) have developed a "Guidance and practices for the safe return to workplaces in light of the easing restrictions" document. When assessing the workstation layout, be sure to measure for 2 metres distance in all directions, measured from where the individual would sit.
Public Services and Procurement Canada note that "there is no evidence that partitions provide sufficient safety between occupants, and should not be the first line of defence". Maintaining 2 metres physical distance is preferred. When considering additional partitions or other barriers, also determine if the installation will reduce the effectiveness of the ventilation systems.
Staggered seating or re-arrangement of desks may help. Face-to-face seating is discouraged.
Other measures may include:
- requirement the space and equipment an individual uses
- requirement the common use spaces, such as meeting areas, social areas, lunch rooms, and equipment rooms, as well as the paths of travel
- ppe personal measures, such as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
- engineering making sure the ventilation system is working appropriately. Increase air refreshment rates, if possible.
- requirement allowing workers to work at the same desk each day if seating arrangements would normally be flexible
- requirement asking workers to maintain a tidy desk to assist with cleaning and disinfecting
- requirement removing extra chairs from meeting rooms to help avoid overcrowding
- requirement using wide tables when individuals are sitting face-to-face
- requirement keeping doors open to assist with air circulation
- requirement indicating a path of travel in hallways, especially if the hall will not allow persons to pass and maintain physical distancing
- requirement labelling doors as entry or exit only
- requirement allowing only 1 person in an equipment room or kitchen at a time
- requirement if allowing the use of microwaves, fridges, etc, in the office, providing a method to clean the surfaces after use
- requirement waiting until the other person has left before approaching a locker or coat closet
- requirement marking spots outside meeting rooms or washrooms where people should wait before entering
- requirement allowing time between meetings to allow for the air in the room to refresh
What are other good practices to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases?
Good health habits are important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Steps to take include:
- context keeping up to date with vaccinations
- context staying home when sick, even with mild symptoms
- context frequent hand washing with soap and water
- context using alcohol-based hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol) when soap and water are not available
- context avoiding close contact with sick people
- context coughing and sneezing into your elbow, or use a tissue (and throw away the tissue immediately)
- context avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- context using proper hygiene practices, such as cleaning and disinfecting surfaces likely to be contaminated and touched by others
What should we be aware of for COVID-19 symptoms?
When a person is infected with COVID-19, they may have little or no symptoms, and the symptoms they do show can be easily confused with a cold or seasonal flu.
COVID-19 appears to mainly spread from person to person when people are in close contact with one another (within about 2 metres or 6 feet) and through respiratory droplets produced when a person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
It is possible that it can spread from contact with infected surfaces or objects – when you touch a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touch their own mouth, nose, or eyes.
Note that the Government of Canada states that there is evidence which indicates that the virus can be transmitted to others from someone who is infected but not showing symptoms. This transmission includes people who:
New loss of smell or taste
Other symptoms include:
Headache
Gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting)
Feeling very unwell
Table adapted from: Cold or flu: know the difference / Know the flu facts - Fact sheet, Government of Canada, 2019, and COVID-19: Symptoms, treatment, what to do if you feel sick, Government of Canada, 2020.
- context have not yet developed symptoms (known as pre-symptomatic)
- context never develop symptoms (known as asymptomatic)