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We're past the pandemic fears of Swine Flu for the moment, but the recent crisis showed all businesses the need to be crisis-ready at any given moment.
The important planning and action for a pandemic situation occurs well in advance of a crisis, but most small companies do not take the time to prepare for what could be a disaster. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that employers train three or more employees to be able to sustain functions and operations necessary for business continuation.
The difficulties that may arise aren't too difficult, say if you have an administrative assistant who now needs to answer the phone in the receptionist role. The difficulties come from those positions that require certifications and other licenses to fulfill the functions of those jobs. So, a forklift operator replacement needs to be fully compliant with the requirements of the job, even when the replacement is temporary.
All of which means that an employer needs to conduct cross-training far beyond the initial training, so that cross-trained employees are current in the skill sets outside of their regular job.
Safety issues are critical in a time of crisis with individuals who are not as familiar with the requirements of a piece of equipment or with nuances in the job.
OSHA regulations for job positions are in effect whether the job is being done by a permanent or cross-trained individual. Underage workers, for example, are restricted from operating certain machinery.
In the specific case of a pandemic flu, where people may become sick at work, employers need to make sure that people are cross-trained to handle emergency preparedness issues, like dealing with the handling of body fluids.
In a recent article by Nancy Hatch Woodward in HR Magazine, she recommends that two or three people out of every area of your workforce are put together in core teams and instructed in their roles in a crisis. They should be on separate floors, use separate elevators and come in at different times, for example, in order to coordinate coverage.
If your staff doesn't have a lot of time for cross-training, you may want to consider using webcams on computers so that employees can make training videos to be stored on your company intranet or server.
So, consider your crisis preparedness and start planning. It's the only insurance for bringing organization in a chaotic time.
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