Riding elevators. Skimming through reading materials from exhibit booths. Shaking lots of hands. Chatting in close quarters or small groups.
Those were some of the activities Friday at the third annual Ready Your Business Conference and Awards Ceremony, and they would grind to a halt during a pandemic influenza outbreak, according to the event's keynote speaker. The conference, which was presented by the Utah Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security and the Salt Lake Chamber, featured exhibits and breakout sessions.
All direct and indirect human contact — except for telecommunications or other electronic methods — likely would be curtailed or eliminated if millions of Americans came down with the flu, said Rich Lakin, manager of disease investigation and management for the Utah Department of Health. And the effects on business would be significant.
Businesses need to plan for many contingencies, but, above all, he said, they must prepare to maintain their business during such a pandemic. "You can't shut down, because you need the revenue, right?" he asked the audience of about 450.
Among community impacts from an outbreak are school, church and event closures; shortages of supplies; curtailment of travel; and overflowing hospitals. Businesses can expect high employee absenteeism, travel restrictions, fear and distractions among workers, shortages of supplies and increased insurance industry burdens, he said.
Imagine, say, one-fourth to one-third of a company's staff being unable or unwilling to work, complicated by those same percentages affecting supplier and customer activities.
The SARS outbreak cost Asia $40 billion in economic activity, and the United States would easily top that with pandemic flu, he said.
Planning can ease much of the trouble, he cautioned, but he also noted that the list of business considerations ranges from encouraging workers to wash their hands more often to establishing comprehensive and reliable communication systems among workers, suppliers and customers.
Telecommuting and flexible work schedules could help, but the human factor cannot be ignored, he said. "If an employee can work from home, that is the best thing to do during a pandemic."
He also suggested a very simple sick leave policy: "If you're sick, leave."
Even a moderate pandemic likely would affect 759,000 Utahns, about 83,000 severely. And businesses and communities should realize that state health officials and federal agencies would be overwhelmed.
E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com