The beginning of September and summer is winding down. From a corporate perspective, a new season of business continuity planning is about to start.

We’ve had dedicated a team - Corporate Business Continuity - focussing exclusively on business continuity since 1989. Its emergency preparedness planning has been tested many times in recent years because of a wide range of human-caused and natural disasters and events – from computer viruses, to forest fires and floods to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and the G8 and G20 meetings in Ontario earlier this summer.

Here’s what the team of business continuity planning, health and safety experts at TELUS advises specific to this time of year:

Drivers take care

With more children on the move – whetehr as pedestrians or in cars and buses – it's helpful to remind your employees that slowing down should be top-of-mind, particularly in school zones, says Clement Tang, director, Safety.

“Back-to-school is a time when drivers need to be particularly cautious when passing through school zones,” he says. “Children are often very excited about returning to school and therefore can behave unpredictably. In addition, many drivers are returning from summer vacation and may still be adjusting to work schedules. And, to make matters worse, the shortening daylight hours make it harder for drivers to see pedestrians in the early morning or late afternoon.”

Germs and more germs

As students return to class, they are exposed to a variety of viruses and germs that can affect other family members, who unknowingly bring those viruses and germs to the workplace. So for business continuity planners, the back-to-school season means it is time to dust off the flu and pandemic plans.

“Last year’s H1N1 scare gave us a chance to do some real-life testing of our health emergency planning and put in place processes that will serve us well in the future,” says John Yamniuk, manager, Corporate Business Continuity.

Influenza (or flu) affects millions of Canadians each year, with flu season usually running from November to April. However, flu is not the only concern. Alberta Health Services issued a warning in mid-August after more than 90 cases of viral meningitis had been found in the province since April. Meningitis is a potentially life-threatening infection often caused by bacteria and viruses.

Janet Crowe, director, Wellness, says there is much a corporation can do to encourage their staff to help prevent the spread of germs and reduce the impact of seasonal flu, meningitis and other communicable diseases. Prevention activities include frequent hand washing – particularly after coughing or sneezing - and coughing or sneezing into the elbow if tissues are not available.

From a corporate position, keep well informed throughout the entire flu season and read public information from sources such as Health Canada to decide which flu preparedness steps are most appropriate for you. On the ground, encourage staff to work from home when they’re not feeling well, Crowe adds.  Established flexible work policies will let them be as productive from the home office as they are at the office proper.

Hurricane season

Like back to school, the hurricane season happens the same time every year – from early June to late November. It affects the north Atlantic and northeast Pacific oceans, where tropical depressions and storms may develop into hurricanes.

Experts in the Canadian Hurricane Centre believe 2010 will be especially active and predict there will be more than five category three or higher hurricanes this season. These will mainly affect the Maritimes and Atlantic Canada; however, heavy winds and rain may reach as far west as Toronto. You can follow the hurricane bulletins at weatheroffice.gc.ca if you operate out of in these areas.

Fire season continues to October

Fire is a summer hazard that carries over into the fall. The fire season in British Columbia started early this year because of low snowfall and quick snowmelt in some regions. Thanks to a prolonged hot dry spell earlier this summer, more than 230 fires are currently burning and more than 70 per cent of the province is considered to be at extreme or high fire risk.

Air quality and wildfire smoke advisories have been issued for many areas around British Columbia, as well as neighbouring Alberta. You can find out more about the wildfire situation in B.C. at bcwildfire.ca. Also check out Natural Resource Canada’s Frequently Asked Questions on Forest Fires page.

Is your company prepared for an emergency? Could your organization continue operations and serving its customers in the event of a pandemic or another communicable disease and if so, what tips would you offer other businesses?