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Flu Pandemic Exercise
May 2008
Introduction
Ensuring the public can travel safely with the minimum of disruption is part of everyday life for Highways Agency employees across the country. However, maintaining this level of service along our 7100 km (4410 miles) of motorways and trunk roads whilst almost 50 percent of the workforce is off sick or looking after ill relatives would be a difficult task for any region.
Traffic Officers from the North East, North West and East Midlands recently took part in a resilience exercise based on the outbreak of a flu pandemic to see how best to cope in this situation.
Purpose of the Exercise
The resilience exercise, code-named Exercise Crocus, was held at the North East Regional Control Centre (RCC) and featured three teams (from the three regions), each consisting of the following:
- On Road Traffic Officer
- On Road Team Manager
- RCC Operator
- RCC Team Manager
- Operations Manager
Exercise Crocus was designed to test and develop the processes and guidance in the Highways Agency's National Traffic Officer Service Business Continuity Manual for dealing with situations that may be encountered during a flu pandemic.
Flu Pandemic Exercise
Influenza, more commonly known as flu, is a viral infection caused by the influenza virus. The symptoms of influenza are fever, headache, cough, sore throat and muscle aches.
Flu strikes suddenly and affects the whole body. It lasts for about seven days and generally leaves you feeling exhausted for weeks afterwards. During a flu pandemic it is estimated that between 25 and 50 percent of Highways Agency employees could be affected both directly with flu or indirectly looking after family members.
The exercise tested the ability of regions to work together to deliver an on road Traffic Officer Service during a flu pandemic at a time when the number of Traffic Officer Service staff would be significantly reduced because of illness related absences.
As background to the exercise, it was assumed that the World Health Organisation had declared a level 5 emergency, outbreaks of flu had occurred simultaneously in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol and cases of the infection had been reported throughout the country.
Exercise Structure
The exercise was based around the morning shift, starting with a briefing from the night shift at 6.00 and finishing with a handover to the afternoon shift at 14.00.
Each team was expected to develop plans for how their RCC and on-road service would operate during the shift. The Operations Manager was required to prepare a plan to maintain the region’s service for the next 48 hours. During the exercise the teams were required to manage 'normal' levels of incidents which included a single direction carriageway closure on the M6. Throughout the shift a series of pre-planned situation briefings were issued at regular intervals.
Resilience and Risk Manager Ken Wootton said:
"This exercise is about making sure that when an incident happens the Traffic Officer Service can implement the Business Continuity Plan and ensure the Highways Agency return to 'business as usual' at the earliest possible time. It is important to be able to make sure that, when faced with serious events we have the best plans in place so we are still able to deliver services under critical conditions."
Operations Manager Maggie Carter added:
"Any loss of the Traffic Officer Service has the potential to lead to disruption to the general public with the potential for increased accidents and therefore injury or even loss of life. Making sure we can continue as much as possible day-to-day activity is therefore very important for the Highways Agency."
Flu Pandemic Exercise
Key Findings
Following the exercise a workshop was held to review the experience gained from the exercise and look at the wider issues arising from a potential flu pandemic. It is planned that the resulting outcomes of the exercise will be used to review the Highways Agency's flu pandemic policy document. TIM Bulletin will keep you updated with any resulting changes from the exercise.
Everyone taking part in the exercise said that it was worthwhile and recommended that future exercises should be planned.
Has this article been worthwhile reading? Why not take a moment to send us your comments, thoughts or questions. Please e-mail TIMbulletin@highways.gsi.gov.uk.
