24 BROKERS’ MONTHLY
Flu threat – outline
from Marsh
A statement from insurance pigs or humans; a mutation which
broker Marsh at the end of April may allow it to pass more easily
outlined the risk and insurance among the human population.
implications for businesses arising The WHO change to a higher
Aon hig
from a possible human pandemic phase of pandemic alert indicates
following confirmed cases of swine that the likelihood has increased, but
flu (A/H1N1) among humans. The not that a pandemic is inevitable.
continuit
H1N1 flu strain was responsible for Should Level Five be declared, the
the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, WHO consider it “a strong signal
Alex Hindson, head of enterprise risk
which is estimated to have caused up that a pandemic is imminent and
management at Aon Global Risk
to 50 million deaths worldwide. that the time to finalise, the
Consulting says that health risks are
Swine flu is common in pigs organisation, communication, and
unpredictable, but given the possibility of
and usually only contracted by implementation of the planned
a swine fever
people in close contact with infected mitigation measures is short.”
pandemic
animals. Human to human If it is proven that the virus is
developing,
transmission is rare but has been easily transmitted from human to
organisations need
confirmed with the current strain human and the WHO continues to
to carefully review
recently found in Mexico. This virus increase the threat level, the
their business
is being described by the World possibility of restrictions on travel
continuity
Health Organization as a new and the passage of some goods, may
management
subtype not previously detected in ensue.
arrangements to
protect their
employees - an
Should businesses be concerned?
organisation’s
Alex Hindson
critical assets - and
ensure they have considered the potential
● Unlike Avian Flu, it is believed this outbreak does not pose a
significant threat to livestock farmers, who were concerned by
for staff absence.
the spread of disease by migratory birds
“
Media pressure is likely to make
● The psychological impact could still be widespread. In Mexico,
people think very carefully before
the majority of restaurants and bars are closed, public events are
travelling on busy public transport
cancelled, and many people are staying at home and away from
systems and organisations could find
work, rather than travelling
themselves without key staff for
protracted periods, whether ill, looking
● The travel and tourism industries are likely to be adversely
after relatives or merely being cautious.
affected by falling passenger numbers, if tourists choose to stay
Timing is everything for businesses.
at home or change their travel. Countries such as the UK, France
Given the financial crisis impacting
and Germany are now advising against all but essential travel to
businesses’ operations, having a robust
Mexico
continuity plan in place could be the
● Supply chains may be affected if the virus spreads, particularly
where suppliers are from countries with denser populations and
Aon launch flu
more restricted access to healthcare
response site
A pandemic could escalate quickly, last for many months, and
Aon launched an online Swine Flu
infect 25% or more of the world’s population, according to public health
Response Resource Site on 28 April. Similar
experts. Many organisations believe that at the peak of a severe
in purpose to its Situation Room set up in
pandemic, up to 75% of the workforce may be absent from work.
the wake of the AIG crisis to advise on carrier
Marsh advise firms to monitor the situation very closely, paying and market developments, the launch was a
particular attention to government and WHO advice, and examine and response to the World Health Organization’s
possibly amend their existing pandemic, business continuity and crisis raising the H1N1 swine flu to a Phase 4
management plans accordingly. pandemic alert, designating the need for
proactive “response and mitigation efforts”.
The Aon statement says the potential
business impact of a swine flu outbreak is
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40