# 2067
The June 4th webinar, presented by the HHS, is now available as an archived video for anyone who missed the original broadcast.
Webcast Series: June 4, 2008
Archive of June 4, 2008 Web-based discussion to help employers prepare the workplace for an influenza pandemic. Event includes question-and-answer session with a representative from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Play (►) the video below for additional information. Please be aware that this video is 68 minutes and may take 3-5 minutes to load onto the page depending on your computer. (See Captioned Video)
- Speaker from the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Andrew Levinson, MPH
Acting Director, Office of Biological Hazards
Directorate of Standards and Guidance- Outline for the Webcast: HTML | PPT
- Resources for the Webcast
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic (PDF - 313 KB) (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers (PDF - 405 KB) (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Proposed Guidance on Stockpiling of Respirators and Facemasks in Occupational Settings (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Federal Register Notice on Proposed Guidance on Stockpiling of Respirators and Facemasks in Occupational Settings
Previous Webcasts
Earlier Webcasts, on the State planning and assessment process, aired on March 13, April 2 and April 30, 2008.
The pandemic influenza PlanFirst Webcasts are brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This is a pretty good video (only runs about 46 minutes) that EVERY employer (large and small) needs to see.
While enforcement of the OSHA guidance recommendations during a pandemic is uncertain, there will certainly be liability concerns for those employers who fail to take reasonable steps to protect their employees.
To put not too fine a point on it, in a post pandemic world, I expect that lawyers are going to have a field day.
And as a practical matter, businesses that fail to protect their employees are unlikely to survive a pandemic, anyway.
The `take home message' of this video is that the private sector needs to prepare, and stockpile needed resources, now. Depending on a business' risk factors, that may include stockpiling antiviral meds, N95 respirators, or surgical facemasks.
Once a pandemic erupts, it will be too late to acquire these items.
Demand for N95 masks and surgical masks, antivirals, and many other critical items will almost certainly exceed the supply once a global health crisis begins.
Additionally, many of these items are made overseas and supply lines and manufacturing could be badly affected during a pandemic. Shortages and price hikes are inevitable.
The time to stockpile these items is now, while they are plentiful and relatively inexpensive.
This video is heavy on face mask and N95 respirator advice for employers, although many other aspects of workplace protection are discussed.
All of this boils down to the fact that all businesses need a pandemic plan, and it needs to take the HHS and OSHA guidance recommendations into account.
The next Webcast will be July 8th, when the HHS will do a program on home health care issues during a pandemic.
The main page on the government's website for the PlanFirst Webcasts is HERE.
