According to public health experts and the medical
community, an influenza pandemic could occur at any
time. The authors conducted a literature review, interviews,
and a survey of Ohio water systems to assess
how prepared U.S. water systems were for a pandemic
flu outbreak and found varying preparedness levels. In
addition, the project determined the planning resources
available for water systems and developed a template
plan that systems could use for pandemic preparedness
and response.
In addition to triggering supply disruptions for power,
chemicals, and equipment, a pandemic flu could result in
serious staffing problems for water systems, with illness
and family care issues creating staffing shortages up to
40%. Cross-training for essential positions, sequestering
critical employees, and implementing vaccination and
other personal protection measures would be essential to
maintaining adequate levels of staffing during a pandemic.
The article also discusses best practices and other strategies
to improve utility contingency planning. Includes 32 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. 101 - No. 1 |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 740 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 14 |
| Published : | 01/01/2009 |
