On May 4, 2009, when the H1N1 virus outbreak was in its early stages, I wrote an article for SafetyXChange providing four recommendations for addressing what was then called the “swine flu.” (I also did an audio conference on the topic.) Just over a month ago, on June 11th, the World Health Organization raised the Pandemic Severity Scale to a Level 6, which means a new virus causing sustained community level outbreaks in more than one WHO region. While every indication is that this pandemic will be of moderate severity, there are lessons to be learned from the run-up that began in April.

WHO Director General on World Response to the H1N1 Outbreak

On July 2, 2009, WHO held an international meeting in Cancun on H1N1 lessons learned and preparedness. During her keynote, WHO’s Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said that Mexico, Canada and the U.S. have demonstrated “rapid and transparent reporting, aggressive control and generous sharing of data and samples” that provided the rest of the world with the answers needed to manage the pandemic in countries who are just now experiencing the peak of infections.

Although the pandemic appears to be moderate, Dr. Chan cautioned that careful attention needs to be paid to what happens during the current winter flu season in the Southern Hemisphere. Mutations of the virus could bring it back with greater virulence and higher fatality rates in the fall in the Northern Hemisphere, she warned. She also noted that while most patients have mild symptoms that resolve without even the need for OTC medications, numerous patients in highly susceptible populations require aggressive medical treatment, sometimes in countries where medical resources are extremely scarce.

Finally, she warned against the twin problems of panic and complacency saying that in between is the “solid ground of vigilance.” She reminded the meeting’s attendees that the virus has the element of surprise on its side, while we humans can counter with our science and rational investigation. (Here’s a link to Dr. Margaret Chan’s keynote speech.)

4 H1N1 Pandemic Recommendations for Safety Professionals

Dr. Chan’s assessment of the current situation is highly relevant to you members of SafetyXChange. Safety professionals need to remain vigilant especially as the summer advances to fall and winter. Here are my four recommendations:

1. Don’t Stop Planning and Preparing for H1N1 and Other Outbreaks

Take the time now to update and revise your pandemic plan. A severe pandemic would be significantly disruptive to organizations and personal lives. Even if the situation doesn’t become as bad as it could become, emergency response planning is never time wasted. If you don’t have a pandemic plan, there are plenty of resources out there to help. Start with the CDC’s Pandemic Planning Checklist, which is a quick way to assess your organization’s readiness.

2. Make the Good Habits of H1N1 Preparation Stick

I know that many of you have done a great job educating your employees about simple ways to minimize the spread of viruses though hand washing and social distancing. Now you need to help employees generalize these short-term practices taken in response to an immediate threat to long-term patterns of behavior used in all situations. Don’t put away the sanitizer or take down the “Cover Your Cough” posters. Remind employees that even during seasonal cold and flu season, germ control activities will not only help them stay healthier, but also keep their co-workers healthy as well.

3. Continue the Effort to Educate Employees on Pandemic

If the H1N1 threat recedes-as we hope it does—there may be a tendency for employees to dismiss the pandemic concern as media hype and the effort to educate them about pandemic, virus transmission and virulence as so much “Chicken Little.” Of course, pandemic is a real danger that can strike any time in the future. The effort to educate must never flag.

4. Get Your Workplace Involved in Pandemic Preparation

The more people in your organization who are directly involved in emergency and pandemic planning, the wider your preparedness message will spread. And the next time we have a virus outbreak that is threatening to become a pandemic, the more likely it will be that your message will find a receptive, and informed, audience. As an added benefit, your workforce is more likely to take the message of preparedness home with them and do what they need to do to be prepared to care for their families without any outside help.

Conclusion

Preparing your workforce for H1N1 or the outbreak of any other pandemic is never a waste of time or energy. The crisis you anticipate might never come to pass. But when, sooner or later, your luck finally runs out, your preparation efforts are bound to avert suffering and might even save lives. Just ask the people in New Orleans who, after years of false alarms, finally had to apply their hurricane preparation in earnest when Hurricane Katrina struck.

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