In its new survey of 100 Fortune 500 companies and other large organizations that are implementing avian flu pandemic preparedness plans, International SOS asked respondents to identify the measures they are currently putting in place in their organizations. The top measures cited were employee traveler locator services, health-risk mitigation training, formalizing work-from-home policies and stockpiling sterile masks and gloves.
Traveler locator services are customized software programs that enable organizations to track and manage employee travel plans. They are most frequently used in connection with employees traveling to or from areas defined as posing increased health or safety risks. 76% of the respondents are putting this measure into place.
Respondents to the International SOS survey included large organizations in the manufacturing, financial services, technology and oil and gas sectors, among others.
With more than 4,400 professionals, 1,000 of whom are medical staff, operating in 60 nations, International SOS helps organizations manage health and safety risks facing their travelers and global workforces.
"The survey confirms something we've been seeing happen incrementally," Dr. Myles Druckman, Vice President of Medical Assistance for International SOS said. "Organizations with distributed, global workforces want to be as prepared as they can be for the potential of pandemic -- and the ability to track and manage employee travel, especially in areas of elevated risk, is central to those efforts.
"No one is sure whether avian flu will continue to progress, and while everyone hopes it will not, more and more organizations are looking at what they can do to mitigate their risk and, where possible, bolster their continuity-of-operations capabilities," Dr. Druckman said.
Pandemic preparedness plans enable companies to mitigate the risk associated with the outbreak of disease, Dr. Druckman said. "A solid pandemic preparedness plan is critical for organizations to be able to effectively medically manage their employees and travelers, especially in less developed countries. Any business continuity plan needs to address the issue of pandemic."
