Outbreaks of viruses such as the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China, the Zika virus, avian influenza A (H7N9), the novel coronavirus Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and Ebola in West Africa bring to light an emerging threat that organisations should be prepared to address.
Unlike more regional events like hurricanes, earthquakes, or terrorist attacks, a pandemic is a global event with global implications. Pandemics underscore the critical importance of preparedness to minimise the potential for disruption.
All industries have the potential to be impacted. Hardest hit of all will be small, highly localised businesses with limited resilience, but any company with worldwide operations, global supply chains, and international customers could be significantly disrupted. Furthermore, as seen with coronavirus and influenza A, local, state, and national governments may ban travel, close schools, quarantine individuals, and/or ban public gatherings.
While managing the potential impacts may seem daunting, Marsh Risk Consulting provides organisations with tried and tested tools, processes, and procedures that can help you protect employees and reduce disruption.
Based on our support of clients’ planning and response activities during the Zika, SARS, and avian flu outbreaks, our global team of specialists has the skills and experience to develop practical plans that integrate into existing business resilience and business continuity arrangements.
Pandemic planning, testing, and regular reviews of effectiveness can place your organisation in a better position to reduce the impact of, and recover more quickly from, these disruptive events. Through effective planning organisations can achieve:
We tailor our industry-specific approach, tools, and knowledge to your organisation, leveraging our deep expertise in risk management, HR consulting, and risk transfer solutions.
We will work with you to develop a Pandemic Response Plan that: (1) integrates with existing crisis management, emergency response, and continuity plans, and (2) maps to the operational and cultural requirements of your organisation. This includes:
We assist companies with a rapid review of their existing pandemic preparedness plans. Our assessments are designed to review your organisation’s current capabilities, identify gaps, and areas for improvement. This is achieved through:
An assessment takes one week and begins with a review of current documentation, interviews with senior executives, and a roundtable workshop with key stakeholders (e.g. business continuity leader, supply chain manager, human resources). Our report includes a roadmap to guide the implementation of any recommendations we make.