MEMBERS GUIDANCE IN RESPECT TO SWINE FLU PANDEMIC - AS AT 6TH JULY 2009

This briefing repeats the information issued by email to all members on 6th July and provides links to Government Publications reproduced on the RSMA Website to assist businesses plan for and respond to the Swine Flu pandemic.

RSMA will keep information and links to useful information on the pandemic on our website – please direct your colleagues to http://www.rsma.co.uk   as a gateway to information – this is not being placed in the member area but in the news area to ensure ease of access to the information for all members, without the need for a password.

The details below provide the latest information we have been able to source and your attention is drawn specifically to the information contained under planning assumptions for the first wave as it is specifically relevant to road marking operations.

Civil Contingencies Update for Business Meeting – 30/6/09

At the business briefing Director of Civil Contingencies Bruce Mann gave the following view on the pandemic and its likely impacts:
• Swine flu is mild in its effects on the vast majority of those that contract it.
• Spread up to end of June was patchy with some areas designated as hot spots and others less affected – this is likely to change as the virus spreads – in a matter of days not weeks
• Government is planning on the basis that this pandemic will be ‘two wave’ – the first wave which is happening over this summer (estimated to peak in August) and a second wave in the winter of 2009.

Planning assumptions for first wave:
1. we should expect up to 15% of the workforce to be affected (this is doubled for workers in more confined environments ‘like colleagues that are travelling together in a car or van’)
2. Government inclination is not to close all schools (in contradiction to the plan) so this should reduce the amount of Worker Parent Absence
3. mild symptoms suggest that more people with the disease than planned for will come to work (as they won’t feel that ill) 

These assumptions are not formal Government assumptions but were given as indications to the meeting by the Director.  Representatives from the transport, power and IT sectors reported that they expected not to experience severe disruption during the first wave

Immediate Planning
There are resources in place to help you to plan your response to swine flu.  It is important that you have plans in place and some useful sources to help you to do this are:
- risk planning from DH suitable for all businesses
- a business check list for larger businesses

Potential Escalation
In the event that cases of swine flu increase dramatically, RSMA will endeavour to advise you of Government policy.  It is however possible that staff at RSMA or within member businesses may contract swine flu and be absent, and therefore we are recommending widespread awareness of sources of information.  The best gateway to the latest information is on www.direct.gov.uk.  whilst RSMA is also sourcing information with other trade bodies whenever possible.