Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

[gsgs]

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Panasonic said they did their own risk-assessment but also consulted
the Japanese government and WHO.

No other Japanese companese or the Japanese government
commented yet, but the author feels it's becoming
general Japanese policy now (?)


will Panasonic tell their employees their pandemic probability estimates ?
will anyone even bother to ask ?

 

[Commonground]

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

gsgs, one thing I have been wanting to do, but haven't found the time, is to look up their "Business Continuity Plan" (BCP).

I believe they have updated this plan, or implemented it for the first time, recently.

 

[gsgs]

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

http://www.panasonic.net/csr/policy/gov/index.html

G&G Risk Management Activities
Using its global assessment standard, Panasonic collects and centrally assesses a comprehensive collection of risk information, and integrates business management with risk management activities. The organization established to do this consists of the G&G Risk Management Committee, which is made up of the Directors and Executive Officers that oversee the functions and divisions at the head office, and there is also a similar committee established at each of the business domain companies and related companies. This system enables Panasonic to effectively act globally and group wide.
Specifically, as shown in the diagram below, the G&G Risk Management structure performs a risk assessment on all business domain companies, subsidiaries, related functions, and G&G Risk Management Committee once a year integrated with the formulation of annual business plans, and the major risks for each are determined. High-priority risks are determined, and a plan for swift, precise action is established, and its progress monitored in close coordination among each other.
There is also a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to counter the risk of large natural disasters. By fiscal 2010, all business domain companies should have a BCP in place for at least one location.
Panasonic will also formulate BCP for other risks that may threaten business operations, such as a pandemic flu outbreak.

Participation of Employees in Important Management Decisions
At Panasonic, important management issues are discussed in advance with the labor union, and Management-Labor Committees are established as forums for people to express their opinions on these issues. Important decisions are explained to labor union leaders, and Labor-Management Councils are held to provide an opportunity for people to express their approval or dissent.
Both the Management-Labor Committees and Labor-Management Councils are held regularly at the corporate level, business domain level, and business unit level. The topmanagement level Management-Labor Committee is held once a month and is attended by the President, Executive Officer in charge of personnel, and the head of the labor union's Central Executive Committee. The top-management level Labor-Management Council is held twice a year and is attended by all Executive Officers at the level of Managing Director or above and the members of the labor union's Central Executive Committee.
In-house Hotlines
As part of ensuring an open and transparent corporate culture, Panasonic operates six head office-based hotlines in Japan covering the areas of business ethics, fair trade, equal opportunities, fair business, global business ethics, and auditing or accounting issues. Business domain companies, subsidiaries and regional headquarters have also established and operate separate hotlines to aid swift resolution of issues.
Related Links
Corporate Governance (To Corporate Profile section)

-------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita-Panasonic,
had his own philosophy in business and management. It is not
too much to say that his business philosophy has supported
the economic growth of Japan. This session is to introduce
his business philosophy, focusing on risk management issues.
Also, a risk manager from Matsushita headquarters will reveal
some of the risk management programs that they have been
working on globally.

Mr. Iwao G. Niwa(Left)
Councilor
Corporate Risk Management Office,
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,Ltd

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Japan has flu plan to block entry, spread of virus - International Herald Tribune

Japan has flu plan to block entry, spread of virus

The Associated Press
Published: February 12, 2009
TOKYO:

Japan's plan for any future influenza pandemic calls for shutting down airports, closing schools and organizing mass cremations of the dead in hopes of keeping the virus off its shores or at least containing it.


The government plan estimates that a new human flu virus could infect a quarter of the Japanese population and force 40 percent of the work force to stay home. It could cause as many as 640,000 deaths in Japan if it were to spread across the country, the Health Ministry said Thursday.

"It is important to delay as much as possible the virus' entry through measures such as strengthening quarantine to take advantage of the special qualities of our nation as an island nation," it said.

Flu pandemics break out when a new virus emerges and sweeps through a population without immunity. The deadliest pandemic on record killed an estimated 40 million people starting in 1918.

While there have been no warnings of increased risk this year, flu fears have been stoked in Japan in the wake of a hit film, "Infected Archipelego," portraying an outbreak that causes death and chaos. The government also held a highly publicized pandemic preparedness drill last month.

This week, major electronics maker Panasonic Corp. ordered the families of Japanese overseas employees to return home from developing countries that may be at risk, including China, most Asian countries, the Middle East and Africa. The company denied the measure was taken to save money.

The last influenza pandemic was in 1968, but experts have been closely watching the H5N1 strain of bird flu that has been sweeping poultry flocks worldwide.

While that virus remains difficult for people to catch ? most of the 254 deaths since 2003 have come from contact with sick birds ? experts fear it could mutate into a form that easily spreads among humans.

The World Health Organization has called on countries to develop national plans on how to control the virus should it begin to spread among humans.

Japan's plan would keep open just four airports and three ports, where a strict quarantine would try to prevent the virus' entry if it emerges overseas. Charter flights would bring healthy Japanese back home, but those infected would be asked stay abroad and foreigners would be restricted from entry.

If an outbreak occurs in Japan, the government plans to shut down schools and discourage people from going to places where large numbers of people gather, such as concerts and movie theaters, and to cremate bodies of victims within 24 hours.

The government is now preparing an update of the plan, initially outlined in November, to reflect public feedback that was gathered in recent weeks, Health Minister Yosuke Yamaki said Thursday.
-
​

<cite cite="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/12/asia/AS-Japan-Flu-Fears.php">Japan has flu plan to block entry, spread of virus - International Herald Tribune</cite>

 

[gsgs]

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

While there have been no warnings of increased risk this year, flu fears have been stoked in Japan in the wake of a hit film, "Infected Archipelego,"

Japan's plan would keep open just four airports and three ports



Here's a synopsis for Kansen rettô from Nippon Cinema: "Satoshi Tsumabuki plays an ER doctor named Tsuyoshi Matsuoka who receives a patient with a virus unlike anything he's seen before. [The patient's] symptoms include high fever, convulsions, vomiting of blood, and multiple organ failure. Could this be a new form of influenza or is it some other variety of virus? As the situation worsens and more cases begin arriving a medical officer from the World Health Organization named Eiko Kobayashi (Rei Dan) is dispatched to the area. At the rate the virus is spreading the entire city's transportation system and infrastructure would be brought to a halt within 3 months. Within 6 months it could spread to tens of millions of people - reaching a death toll far worse than any war. Can mankind put an end to this deadly pandemic?"

 

[jasonfoster]

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Gsgs,

I don't think a film would prompt action like this from a well known company. We (in the UK) had a series out on TV a few weeks back of a similar nature. It was called "survivors"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/survivors/

 

[Commonground]

Prepare? Pandemic flu business continuity plan, specifically designed to increase corporate crisis make

February 12, 2009

起KITARA the infection of avian flu, companies will have a different judge. Lot of important business operations and reduce the suspension should continue, to ensure the safety of employees, and prevent the spread of infection in the workplace. Specific crisis such as a possible "business continuity plan" (see notes) that make a company more. (Andou Akio)
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (Tokyo), continues a new study from the flu four years ago, they tried to prepare a specific year.
, Which is very likely that mutations in avian flu H5N1 type bird flu, World Health Organization (WHO) criteria in Phase 3 (which is confirmed to be infected from birds to humans). This phase 4 (which is confirmed infection from person to person), the company started by the task force. Protect the safety of employees and family members, with the aim広GENAI infection, reduce business and refrain from starting to travel abroad. If infection is suspected the employee, the company reported, on the medical institutions. Refrain from a family outing.
Education for employees, a brochure prepared jointly with the parent company, Fujifilm, mask, and distribution of antiseptic solution set. Also, for your dedicated server to verify the safety of a disaster such as earthquake, "avian flu" have an item of personal and family health, to allow input from the PC and mobile phone contacts during the evacuation and . The bosses and personnel managers, and to track the health of employees nationwide.
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Mr. Nakashima Minoru "pandemic period (phase explosion infection) is expected to重NEMASHITA discussion, you can not assume too much now. I can now properly prepared, the task force that can respond flexibly I think it's important to go to. "
Cosmo Oil Co. (Tokyo), summarizes the action plan from last September to keep a stable supply of petroleum products and the safety of employees. "Occurs before" ▽ in case of absent employees, and consideration of human adaptability in office ▽ considered to ensure personnel perform necessary executive management ▽ decision of the agency - which include. The country, "the new guidelines for flu prevention in the workplace, businesses" will be revised by the month, and is currently working to create a more concrete plan.
IT-related companies is actively involved. Their products using the terminal is expected to expand telecommuting efforts.
But the effort is still in big companies. The anti-avian flu seminar held in September last year and Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Chamber of Commerce, the company has participated in surveys in 75 of the 100 respondents, such as stockpiling of drugs and masks for employees create documentation, a set of measures such as creating a business continuity plan is 14.6%. "Now look," 72.6 percent.
He said "You will hear a voice that often get lost with where to even feel. Companies have also asked the companies for customers. The recession, short-term interest in the absolutely it is good, that money can do so many KAKENAKU. the most important concern is safety awareness. "
<Business continuity planning> natural disasters, terrorism and other emergencies to minimize damage to the company, to promote early recovery and business continuity of the core, the plan you have prepared. To create and consult with companies and customers. Mainly in Japan, the company has been working with an interest in earthquake risk management in terms of measures, countries are advised to create a business continuity plan against avian flu.

http://66.102.1.102/translate_c?hl=...rev=_t&usg=ALkJrhgubQDiyeueUqvVpNycA5MlvwWksg

 

[tropical]

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

Re: Panasonic To Send Workers families home

#63: "Panasonic ... The organization established to do this consists of the G&G Risk Management Committee, which is made up of the Directors and Executive Officers that oversee the functions and divisions at the head office, and there is also a similar committee established at each of the business domain companies and related companies."

#64: "Japan's plan would keep open just four airports and three ports, where a strict quarantine would try to prevent the virus' entry if it emerges overseas. Charter flights would bring healthy Japanese back home, but those infected would be asked stay abroad and foreigners would be restricted from entry."

 

[Commonground]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Correctly grasp the trend, "2009 vision of IT growth," draw a

(CIO Magazine 2009 January issue)

Special Technology Update

Subprime loan problems, Lehman Shock, relief of the Big Three auto ─ ─ 2008 financial year the economic crisis from the United States began Monday, has spread to countries including Japan in a matter of seconds. Look RARENA avoid the serious recession years of 2009 when, CIO or should I go to meet management requests and how to reduce costs and contribute to the project. In this article, CIO Utiyama Satoshi of Japan has been for many years to send a shout out to two of the Matsushita Yoshio, the inevitable upheaval in 2009 as CIO and you should have nailed a keyword or topic.

R-T CEO Utiyama Satoshi ● Eye / text by Satoshi Uchiyama Principal Analyst

Important trends include IT strategy

T i R (ITR), the journal has been in CIO Magazine and the annual community survey results of IT investments (see story on page 14), ITR projects and will be available at the hearing requested by customers and taking into account the content, the annual 10 of the IT strategy is the selection of keywords. Among the keywords below, we consider adequate for what appears to be a high priority for the company, since 2009, aimed at incorporating IT strategy.

Pandemic measures [1]

Pandemic (pandemic) and refers to the pandemic, infectious disease and infection in the world. Not in some areas and communities, EPIDEMIKKU in a global epidemic (epidemic) is distinguished. If a pandemic occurs, "human"立CHI行KANAKU economic activity and by the lack of any scene, it will be a big hit business. And are concerned about avian flu, about a possible PANDEMIKKU BCP (Business Continuity Plan) to establish the company in 2009, is expected to increase.

In the IT sector, with the prospect of an avian flu pandemic, IT should consider a plan to keep the system recovery. When the recovery plan, not just paint a scenario of an alternative system to ensure personnel and the employees were ordered to work at home or when isolated, IT should be taking steps to provide infrastructure there.

[2] Environmental Information Management

Environmental and CSR (corporate social responsibility) and the aggregate analysis of collected data to create a published report, environmental legislation and ISO 14001, ISO 9001 in response to demand and document management requirements environmental information management systems to support information management in the spotlight. CSR is the environment and important, and environmental reports of companies in CSR has been growing demand to create a report, a dedicated system that can collect and manage information more efficiently / Applications The first is the need.

2009, while the importance of environmental awareness, increased reporting requirements by government to strengthen regulations as to be expected that more companies to adopt environmental management systems. In addition to large companies, to expand the use of SMEs, in addition to packaged applications, SaaS (Software as a Service) will be offered in more models.

[3 PSI (Planning販在live)]

PSI and the Product / Procurement, Sales, Inventory stands, procurement and production (not including the procurement may be), sales of the processes involved in inventory, sales, production planning, raw materials / semi-finished products procurement plan , move inventory replenishment plans, and unit item SKU (Stock Keeping Unit: SKU) refers to a business plan to support supply chain planning.

The advance of globalization, "production site" and "centralized purchasing," "multinational logistics" "multi-channel sales" and SCM (supply chain management) and operations will be unavoidable, be aware of the importance of basic planning has become. Previously, this task was done with Excel and other businesses and companies too much reliance on demand forecasting and optimization tools, "become visible" in the PSI as a basic need to review the plan.

>> Go to full text (CIO LINKS)

 

[Commonground]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

[This site contains seminars. There are tons of seminars. This one is coming up in March, and I believe they are referring here to Panasonic]

Excerpt:

New flu Session Ⅱ (3 / 10 held)
-snip-
Three new flu EPUSONTOYOKOMU 1800 employees in foreign companies (stocks) Medical industry dedicated Yagishita Sakura (Sakura and GISHITA a),
[15:50 to 16:50]
Measures to prevent avian flu come up to prepare for the knowledge and behavior of individuals, the role played by medical and industrial sectors as health care, the employee is considered to be the first to education. One group of companies, however, there is a social responsibility to take necessary precautions to avoid spreading the field. This is not a system or health sector measures alone can move a company must consider in determining risk management committee. Therefore, measures that can start with the basic position, that is up from last year a new flu. Are still many challenges in the future, we will introduce our new flu.

1. Guiding Principles
2. Preventive Education
3. Stockpiling goods in order to prevent spread of infection prevention and
4. Prepare to receive appropriate medical care abroad

http://66.102.1.102/translate_c?hl=...rev=_t&usg=ALkJrhggFbmbpGIlHJ7dxx549w19jUr-fg

 

[Commonground]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

link to the seminars:

http://66.102.1.102/translate_c?hl=...rev=_t&usg=ALkJrhivUEFOx3hmjlFMaTwuq2AjFFpNyQ

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Curiously, this flurry of scaremongering news flux repeats itself at regular pace.

At the end of 2004, an important former UN agency officer (now big pharma expert) interviewed about next year predictions, said that world would be in 2005 ''well due for panflu''.

Obviously, worst predictions followed: from 7 millions to 2 billions of deaths...

But what is the usefulness of a prediction such as one called for half of humankind would die form bf?

According me, nothing.

If we are due to die from a kind of hyperdisease wiping out half population, well, no handwashing or food stockpile could minimize our risk to die.

The great limit of such predictions are the lack of proof, hyperbolic conclusions, no countermeasures proposed.

So, people continues to make usual mistakes with animals, to sell smuggled poultry, to corrupt officers for avoiding inspections etc.

Ten years... Ten years of these predictions...

Nothing has been achieved in a decade of scaremongering in terms of better understanding of disease and treatment protocols.

I enjoy with all these new research about 1918 spanish flu but sometimes I would be more happy to see paper discuss of new therapeutical approaches...

But we continue to read and see tv footage, programs, newswires calling for disaster, mass human die-off...

People is dying daily for a number of conditions - from infectious diseases to famine - but asinine corporate management(s) try to focus media attention from their almost (criminal) responsibility in global economic recession to pandemic prediction based on phantomatic intelligence ''deep-throat'' about end-of-summer-catastrophe...

In the meantime, same big corporations continue to lay-off people all around the world, recession continues to destroy livelihood of millions and no one to blame for this ---- if not the ''rule of market'', the free market....

 

[gsgs]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Financial Times Germany writes, that the Japanese government were praising
the decision

 

[SophiaZoe]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Ten years... Ten years of these predictions...

Nothing has been achieved in a decade of scaremongering in terms of better understanding of disease and treatment protocols.

Respecting the fact we all have our own opinions:

I disagree. We have far greater understanding of what makes H5N1 a highly pathogenic for human beings. We've gained a tremendous amount of "data points", that when combined truly do give us a far better picture of what the may face should a wholly avian form of H5N1 gain human transmission capabilities.

We've learned a lot about treatment protocols, though there is much more to learn.

* We know that double Tamiflu is proving more effective.
* We know that thus far, steriods are proving to not be efficacious.
* We know that thus far antibiotics are proving to not be efficacious.
* We know that the "treatment window" has been expanded.
* We know that gamma globulin treatment can be efficacious.
* We know that pre-priming vaccine is a great way to boost response to novel antigen.
* We know the temporal relationship between temperature and humidity for virus survival.

Well, perhaps you get me point. Our base of knowledge has greatly expanded both on the virus itself and treating its human victims.

On the "people front":

* Most people around the globe now understand that when their poultry suddenly dies and the humans become ill it's time to seek medical help.
* Physicians in areas of outbreak know to suspect H5N1 as a primary possibility.

Human nature and human needs may be counterproductive to eradication efforts but that does not mean they are fed by a failure of "dire predictions", just the fact that people still have to eat and others still have to support their family, both of which are quite nicely accomplished with our humble, though possibly infected, chicken.

All told: We have made great strides in these 10 years. We just haven't stridden far enough.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

(...)

The seasonality of H5N1 influenza seems similar to that of human influenza: the virus has apparently been more transmissible among chickens, and consequently to humans, during the cooler months. The cases in humans in Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt occurred during the cooler months and coincided with explosive outbreaks of the disease in wild and domestic poultry. In the tropical areas of Asia, there have been two resurgences of H5N1 during the
warmer months of the year ? a pattern that resembles that followed by human influenza in the tropics, with its multiple peaks of activity. With winter approaching in the northern hemisphere, H5N1 may spread further. Will it cross from Eurasia to the Americas? Will wild migratory birds carry
it from their breeding sites in northern Europe and Siberia to commercial poultry in Europe, Africa, and America? If it is endemic in wild migratory birds that are not rapidly killed by it, then spread to domestic backyard poultry is inevitable. The intermittent spread to humans will continue, and the virus will continue to evolve.

H5N1 Influenza ? Continuing Evolution and Spread
Robert G. Webster, Ph.D., and Elena A. Govorkova, M.D., Ph.D.
Downloaded from www.nejm.org by SIG GIUSEPPE MICHIELI on November 23, 2006 .

 

[SuperNova1987A]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Insight from Tokyo (Please note I am not related to Panasonic at all.)

Is it for the cost-cutting?
Panasonic ordered only families in developing countries to return to Japan. Generally speaking, the cost of living is much cheaper in those countries than in developed countries. If Panasonic wanted to really cut spending, they would need to include families in developed countries as well, and they can easily justify it by saying a pandemic will be worldwide.
Also, it is a common practice in Japan to pay a special allowance to those employees who are not allowed to stay with their families in assigned countries because of social unrest or harsh natural environment, etc. Panasonic will need to pay such allowance to all the employees affected by the repatriation order. It would reduce the effect of cost-cutting.
Therefore, I think cost-cutting would not be the main reason for the order, maybe one of them, but minimal.

Why now?
A friend of mine in a South East Asian county told me he heard a Panasonic employee grumbling last December about the company?s order. So, Panasonic did not make their decision because of tamiflu resistant H1N1 which was not widespread in Japan at that time nor because of the recent human bird flu cases in China which started in January this year.
I am rather confused by the WHO comments about the risk of a pandemic. Because if a pandemic is inevitable in the future, as often stated by medical experts, we could say we are nearing a future pandemic as time goes by, and the risk of a flu pandemic grows as more human bird flu cases come up. If this is true, it will support Panasonic?s decision and rather we should ask why not now?
I worry about the current situation: as the number of H5N1 cases continuously decreases in last two years, more and more people wrongly speculate the chance of a pandemic decreases as well. The WHO comments will be understood supporting it.

Why until September? (If Panasonic is so alerted, why do they allow a time until September? Isn?t it too slow?)
I don?t know how many Panasonic families will be returning to Japan. But, it would be several hundreds at least. This is a big challenge for Panasonic to help all the families find a place to live and especially schools for their children in Japan.
As the school year starts in April in Japan, parents usually wish to return to Japan by April and let their children make a fresh start at the beginning of school year. But, it would be very difficult to make it within only three months. I think that is why Panasonic will wait until September when the second semester starts in Japanese schools.

Will other companies follow?
Panasonic forms a big group of companies with many subsidiaries and related companies, i.e. its subcontractors and suppliers and so on. Probably, those companies will follow Panasonic.
Panasonic is one of the most active Japanese companies in the Pandemic preparedness efforts, often playing key roles in public seminars and conferences as speakers or panelists. I am sure they have considered a lot of information, given serious thoughts and gone through heated internal discussions before making the order, which I would very much hope Panasonic to share with us.
I rather worry about other Japanese companies, including my own, following Panasonic without really thinking about all the pros and cons of the repatriation order and without making necessary preparations to make it work.

Having said that, I am not for Panasonic?s repatriation order now.
There are too many questions to be answered.
None of my colleagues in overseas offices want to be separated with their families. Some of them don?t even like to talk about the issue at all. It is obvious that no plan will work without their understanding and support.

___________________________
SuperNova1987A

Thank you Florida 1. I could register.

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Welcome and thank you SuperNova1987A.

 

[Commonground]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Welcome SuperNova1987!

 

[Rwilmer]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

Panasonic addresses speculation over employee pandemic order
Lisa Schnirring Staff Writer


Feb 12, 2009 (CIDRAP News) ? A spokesman for Panasonic Corp. said today that the company had no proprietary information about any increased risk of an influenza pandemic in December 2008 when it instructed some of its overseas employees to send their families back to Japan by September.

Jim Reilly, a Panasonic spokesman based in New York City, also denied speculation that the company ordered the families to return to Japan as a cost-saving measure to mitigate the effects of the global economic downturn.

However, he told CIDRAP News that the company realizes its move may seem unusual, given that they are the first major company to enact such a pandemic planning measure. "They realize that there are different perceptions around the world," Reilly said of Panasonic officials.

No change in pandemic risk
Masato Tashiro, MD, PhD, a virologist at Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases and a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), told CIDRAP News that he hasn't seen any increase in the global pandemic risk. "As far as I understand, the recent situation of poultry outbreaks and human infections in China is within our prediction," he said.

Panasonic said its request to the employees was based on a review of where the H5N1 virus has been detected and an assessment of medical facilities in the areas, according to previous reports.

The regions that were named align with its operational divisions, Reilly said. He reiterated that Japanese employees have been asked to return send their families back from Asia (except Singapore), China, the Middle East, Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States (the former Soviet republic states), and Latin America. Divisions that aren't subject to the repatriation request include North America, Western Europe, and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand).

He said it was difficult to determine how many people are affected, but he said, for example, that Panasonic has 60 factories and about 100,000 employees in China. The company has 307,000 employees worldwide, including 13,500 in North America.

Panasonic gave the affected employee families several months to make their moving arrangements, because Japanese families aren't typically as mobile as those in other countries, Reilly said. Making new living and school arrangements might be more complicated and take longer, because families don't frequently make such adjustments.

Importance of business preparedness
One element of Japanese culture is that the country is very prepared to address natural disasters, Reilly said. "People from outside of Japan are always impressed when they see lots of information on what to do about earthquakes," he said, alluding to a 1995 earthquake centered in Kobe that killed nearly 6,500 people and one in 1923 that killed 140,000.

"Companies know the importance of continuing business," he said.

Japan's pandemic plan, posted on the health ministry's Web site, contains 14 pages of guidance on business preparedness. It urges employers to consider options for evacuating employees and their families assigned overseas in regions that experience pandemic outbreaks, minimizing travel to outbreak areas, and ensuring that returning employees and families follow quarantine guidelines.

William Raisch, executive director of the New York University International Center for Enterprise Preparedness, told CIDRAP News that Panasonic's action shows that some of the largest corporations still see a pandemic as a continuing and real threat.

"Further, this announcement by Panasonic indicates that they are actively monitoring the prevalence of bird flu and have begun to assess the capability and access to healthcare in key elements of their supply and distribution networks," said Raisch, who is an editorial board member of the CIDRAP Business Source.

Earlier this month, Japan's defense ministry said it had developed a plan to fly Japanese citizens in foreign lands home in government-chartered jets in the event of an influenza pandemic, the Yomiuri Shimbun, an English-language newspaper in Japan, reported on Feb 4.

Strict quarantine, mass cremation
The country's health ministry today announced some new details of its pandemic plan, which includes strict quarantine measures such as shutting down all but four airports and three ports, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. Other plans include closing schools and conducting mass cremation of pandemic flu fatalities.

The ministry said, "It is important to delay as much as possible the virus' entry through measures such as strengthening quarantine to take advantage of the special qualities of our nation as an island nation," according to the AP report.

Some pandemic flu experts have said that closing borders won't stem the spread of a pandemic virus and could hamper the flow of crucial supplies.

Health minister Yosuke Yamaki told the AP that Japan is updating its pandemic plan, based on public feedback collected in recent weeks.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/biz-plan/news/feb1209panasonic-jw.html

 

[gsgs]

Re: Panasonic Says Bringing Workers Families Home Due to Pandemic Fears - Discussion, Economic Considerations, Other Companies Pan/Flu Plans

why did they keep it secret from Dec.-Feb. ?
are they planning to cut proportionally more jobs in the involved countries ?
Having their families in Japan might later make employees less reluctant
to accept another job.

What's Panasonic's G&G-groups probability estimate for a pandemic
within 5 years ?

What's the expected cost of the measure ?

Can the families later return to those countries which improve healthcare
and preparation to the level of North-America,Singapore,Europe ?
How much safer are these countries being considered by Panasonic ?

Is it coincidence, that the Japanese government announced new details
about their pandemic plan just a few days later ?
Is it coincidence that the Kansen Renno movie was given just last month ?
Is it coincidence that Panasonic announces this just a few days after
their job-cutting program ?
Is it coincidence that this happens shortly after the pandemic drill
last month ?

Does Panasonic recomment other companies to follow their example ?
Are
Why is it so much easier to prepare for a Pandemic in Japan ?
Because of the Quarantine program ?
Why are there no Japanese members in internet-panflu-discussion forums ?

Why didn't Panasonic take this measure earlier, e.g. in 2006 , when the pandemic threat was
commonly considered larger ?

Why was this decided by Panasonic secretly and without public discussion ?