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A business continuity plan is a document that outlines how an organization will continue to function during and after an emergency or event. It involves planning how your key services or products can continue.
Please remember... each business is unique – the topics listed in this document are general suggestions. You will need to create a specific plan that best suits your business and operational needs.
This document focuses on creating a business plan for infectious diseases such as a pandemic or severe seasonal outbreak that results from a virus or other agent. It is intended for non-health care organizations. Health care organizations, as well as other first response agencies (e.g., police, emergency, first aid, ambulance) will require more rigorous infection control measures, and workforce plans.
Please see the OSH Answers "Emergency Planning" for information on a general emergency response plan.
In some ways, yes.
Traditionally, most business continuity plans focus on what will happen if the building or equipment is damaged. In other scenarios, the plan may assume that people will be able to return to a building after a single event (such as after a storm, or if there is a utility outage).
However, if there is a serious infectious disease outbreak, such as a pandemic, you must plan for the workers being unable to report to work for a period of time. During a pandemic, businesses, social organizations, or schools may be required to close by order of health officials to help slow the spread of the illness. These steps will influence how many people may be available to report to work. Other measures may be enacted by governments or recommended by public health officials, such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, travel restrictions, limits to the number of people who can gather at a single location, alternative, use of non-medical masks, etc.
It is important to plan to have your core business activities to remain operational for several weeks or months with limited staff like working remotely.
Please see the booklet Business Continuity Plan: Infectious Diseases for more information.
It is hard to say with certainty. Every pandemic is different. It will depend on the virus's “viral ability” – that is, how easily the virus spreads and how sick people become. Workers may be away from work for various reasons (e.g., illness, caregiving, school closure).
Also note, as stated by the Government of Canada: “The pattern of disease is different in pandemics than in seasonal influenza. Pandemics may arrive outside of the usual influenza season and typically have more than one wave of illness. The total duration of a pandemic is likely to be 12 to 18 months.”
It will be important to make sure your plan will accommodate staff absences for more than a single period of time.
Possible effects on business from a pandemic can include:
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.
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:
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:
Good health habits are important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Steps to take include:
In general, people should be encouraged to stay home if they are ill (even if the symptoms are mild), or if they think they are ill. Allow time for complete recovery and a healthy return to work.
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 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:
Cold | Seasonal Influenza | COVID-19 |
---|---|---|
Chills but fever is rare | Fever | Feeling feverish |
Cough, chest discomfort (mild but may last a while) | Cough, chest discomfort (dry cough can be severe) | Cough (new or worsening) |
Body aches, pains (mild) | Body aches, pains (can be severe) | Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath |
Tiredness (you can still do your daily activities) | Bedridden (you may feel extremely exhausted) | Chills |
Headache (mild) | Headache (can be severe) | Fatigue or weakness |
Sore throat | Sore throat | Muscle or body aches |
Stuffy, runny nose, sneezing | Stuffy, runny nose | New loss of smell or taste |
Complications can include… | ||
Lung infections | Pneumonia | Pneumonia in both lungs |
Table adapted from: Cold or flu: know the difference / Know the flu facts - Fact sheet, Government of Canada, 2019, and Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Frequently asked questions (FAQ), Government of Canada, 2020.