Pandemic in Public Venues and Events

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) have reported that four more people who arrived on a Qantas flight from LA to Sydney have tested positive for Human Swine Flu (known as Influenza A H1N1). Australia now has a confirmed record of 50 cases of Human Swine Flu, with the figures doubling in the past week.
This total includes the positive test results of two children on board the Pacific Dawn cruise ship that has just arrived in Sydney. It is reported that during this outbreak: 130 other passengers were quarantined; the remaining 1800 disembarking passengers were asked to stay at home or in their hotels for up to seven days; and the ship eventually set sail 7 hours late with a whole new crew.The likelihood of an infectious disease shutting down your business may seem improbable. However, as seen in the recent reports there is the strong potential for businesses to have serious OHS and business continuity implications from such outbreaks.

During the initial Human Swine Flu out-break in Mexico, the Mexican government banned public events, issued advisories against gatherings across the country and closed schools nationwide. This move would have left the Venue Managers scrambling to reschedule and reorganize their events.

If Australia were to experience a Human Swine Flu Pandemic this could trigger the same cancellation of major public events and major public gatherings. The possibility of such measures was foreshadowed in last Saturday’s SMH.

Risks to the events and venues industries from pandemics, other natural disasters or medical incidents should all be included in the organization’s emergency management, crisis management and business continuity plans. An established and well communicated plan will prepare a venue to minimize disruption and resume business as early as possible.

Stay tuned for more risk management news.

NRL Sexual Misconduct Claims – Another example of Reputation Risk in Sport

More allegations of serious sexual misconduct have once again the potential to seriously damage the NRL’s reputation. In a difficult economic environment, allegations of group sex and sexual assault, as made in last night’s ABC TV program, Four Corners, may have serious implications for the game’s brand and de-tract from the value proposition offered to sponsors of the sport. Managing such crisis and events that seriously threaten one’s reputation is always difficult. Reputation is usually gained over time but can be dashed very quickly. Great care will now be needed to minimize the consequential loss resulting from the crisis. Reputational risk management is an area growing in significance in the sport, venues and events industries. When crisis management is poorly executed it can cripple an organization and its goodwill. An organisation’s reputation is arguably its most valuable asset and needs careful nurturing and effective risk management.