Pandemic preparedness from the perspective of Occupational Health professionals

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Public Health Emergency Preparedness
• Infectious Disease Management

Background:

• Early occupational preparedness is vital for protecting employees against novel pathogens.
• The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlighted the need for robust workplace safety measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the workplace preparedness of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and Human Resource (HR) professionals in the Republic of Ireland before COVID-19.
• To understand the strategies and challenges faced by organizations in preparing for the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Online focus groups were conducted with 60 OSH/HR professionals across various occupational settings in Ireland.
• Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using NVivo with intercoder reliability testing.

Main Results:

• Three levels of organizational preparedness were identified: 'early awareness and preparation', 'unaware and not ready', and 'aware, but not ready'.
• While most organizations recognized COVID-19's severity, many lacked full preparedness, particularly smaller, stand-alone enterprises.
• OSH professionals demonstrated agility in applying risk management to unforeseen health crises.

Conclusions:

• General pandemic preparedness, including remote work policies and prior outbreak experience, was beneficial for COVID-19 prevention.
• This study offers valuable insights into workplace preparedness for future public health emergencies in Ireland.