SWINE FLU REINFORCES NEED FOR PANDEMIC PLANS IN ONTARIO Article Date: Tuesday September 1, 2009 SWINE FLU REINFORCES NEED FOR PANDEMIC PLANS IN ONTARIO TORONTO – The Ontario Chamber of commerce is reminding businesses throughout Ontario to be vigilant in protecting their operations and employees from possible effects of a global pandemic, by issuing an updated pandemic planning guide. “The quick reaction to the situation that occurred in Mexico shows us that we have learned a great deal from past experiences, and yet, research continues to show that while many businesses are aware of the possible impacts of a pandemic, few have made preparations so that they can deal with this possibility,” explain Len Crispino President & CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. The Pandemic Planning Tool Kit was first released in January 2007 to businesses across the province in an effort to minimize disruption to the province’s economy in the case of a pandemic or other widespread emergency.  A national survey confirmed in 2008 that half of Canadian businesses over 500 employees still have no plan to manage a pandemic. The tool kit includes the following: •    Estimates of potential staff absences •    Legislative requirements governing staff absences during an emergency and subsequent return to work •    List of possible effects to services and business operations •    Prevention techniques to limit the spread of disease •    Business continuity checklist •    Additional resources “We’ve been caught unawares in the past and the impact on the economy has been significant,” emphasizes Crispino.  “We urge all businesses to carefully plan so that they may cope during widespread emergencies which may involve such things as staff absences, energy supply disruptions and trade interruptions.” The Pandemic Planning Tool Kit is available at: http://occ.on.ca/pandemic-planning-tool-kit/ The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is currently assessing how prepared members are in the event of a major business disruption resulting from a catastrophic emergency, such as a pandemic, massive power outage and the like. With the recent onset of the global swine flu, or H1N1 virus, and the coverage it is receiving in the world media, the OCC would like to know how you feel about reaction to H1N1 and how prepared you are to keep your business on track during such an emergency. Please take a few moments to complete the 2009 Emergency Preparedness Survey which can be found at the following link: http://occ.on.ca/business-surveys We ask that you please complete this short survey by Friday, September 11, 2009 at 5:00 pm. Thank you for taking the time to share your insight with us.