About a year ago, Hurricane Sandy forever changed many lives and destroyed  businesses on the East Coast.

What is your contingency plan when it is no longer business as usual?
What is your contingency plan when it is no longer business as usual?

QS9000 requires suppliers to have contingency plans
contingency plans 49b2
Sometimes, natural disasters and acts of God are also in play.
PMPA offers it members operational assurance through our Disaster Recovery Plan
90 PMPA members stepped up to offer Operational Assurance.
90 PMPA members stepped up to offer Operational Assurance.

PMPA member companies stepped up during last years Sandy Hurricane to offer their capabilities and open time to shops affected by the Superstorm and its consequences.
Over 90 member companies contacted PMPA staff as part of PMPA’s Disaster Recovery Plan
Offers from “recovery shops” (shops volunteering to provide assistance) included loan of tools, gages, material, and offers to run jobs while  “requesting shops”  dug out from the storm.
Is your shop QS 9000 registered? Do you have a documented contingency plan?
PMPA member shops do. And a list of 90+ fellow shops who have volunteered aid and assistance in the past  if needed.
We hope that the only time you need to access the PMPA Disaster Recovery Plan is to pass a QS 9000 audit.
But as a PMPA member, our shops know that if they should have a need, we have a plan backed by member shops like theirs waiting to make a difference.
For information regarding PMPA Disaster Recovery Plan, contact Jeff Remaley  gro.apmp@yelamerj here at PMPA .
NY Post Photo
QS 9000 link

Business influenza information abounds. But what is authoritative?
The media is flooded with all kinds of stories about the Swine Flu /2009 H1N1 Novel Influenza. Our email boxes are being filled with all kinds of rumors, myths, and offers regarding this possible ‘pandemic.’
We’ve looked at a lot of sites, and a lot of resources. The workplace  planning tab at  www.flu.gov looked like a great all in one place resource for manufacturers like us. But following a link there led me to http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/guidance/ and  I think that this is the one H1N1 influenza resource that you need.

Here's a 'Tool You Can Use!'
Here's a 'Tool You Can Use!'

Besides technical disease information and precautions, here are some of the ideas  from this site that employers should be considering if the H1N1 outbreak occurs this year.

  1. Prepare for increased numbers of employee absences due to illness in employees and their family members, and plan ways for essential business functions to continue.
  2. Advise employees before traveling to take certain steps
  3. Prepare for the possibility of school dismissal or temporary closure of child care programs
  4. Consider increasing social distancing in the workplace and canceling non-essential business travel
  5. Make sure your sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance, and that your employees are aware of these policies.
  6. Make contingency plans for increased absenteeism caused by illness in workers or illness in workers’ family members that would require them to stay home. Planning for absenteeism could include cross-training current employees or hiring temporary workers.

More ‘Tools You Can Use’ include:
Born before 1957? Interesting article HERE.
For training materials including powerpoints and spanish language materials try here
OSHA has an easy to read explanation of what a pandemic is and other resources for employers and employees.
OSHA guidance on preparing our workplaces
The ability to anticipate and intelligently manage risk is what separates the great managers from the wannabes. These links help you with your preparations.
Have you reviewed your  sick leave, cross training, and other policies in preparation for the upcoming influenza season?
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