ANU PANDEMIC RESPONSE PLAN
This plan should be read in conjunction with the University Emergency Response Plan which provides a broad framework for managing the response to any major campus emergency.
1. Introduction
The Australian National University is based in the Australian Capital Territory and has two large campuses located at Acton and Mount Stromlo.
The University also has several other properties including Kioloa (South Coast, NSW) and Darwin (Northern Australia Research Unit) which have small complement of permanent staff but accommodate a number of visitors, as well as a seismic research station, remotely based near Tennant Creek, in the North Territory, which has an establishment of three staff
In addition to these, there is campus based at Siding Spring, in northern NSW, which has a working population of approximately 60, including University staff and students, as well as, staff from other external organizations that have operations based on the site.
The Acton campus is the main focus of teaching and research, with the exception of Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics which is based at Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring. The campus population fluctuates throughout the year, but reaches approximately 16,000 staff and students at peak during semesters. Of this population, approximately 3000 students are resident in Halls and Colleges on or just off the campus.
The campus operations include teaching and laboratory facilities, animal facilities and administration. There is also short and medium term visitor accommodation provided through University House and University Accommodation. Commercial activities include cafes, bookshop, banks, chemist, travel agents, general store and computer/mobile phone retailers.
Other services include a Medical Centre, Dentist and Sports and Recreation Centre.
2. Purpose of the Plan
The primary purpose of this plan is to establish a management structure to respond to a pandemic influenza emergency, which defines areas of responsibility, chain of command and communications lines.
The implementation of the Plan is intended minimize risk to the campus community and reduce the permanent impacts on the academic enterprise. Key elements include:
• Limiting the spread of illness
• Preserving continuity of essential functions
• Minimising economic losses
3. Pandemic Emergency Management Team
The Vice Chancellor will convene the Pandemic Emergency Management Team where a pandemic risk has been identified. The structure of the team may vary depending on the nature of the pandemic event. However the following table shows the core members and the broad responsibilities of the relevant members:
| Member |
Key Responsibilities |
| Vice Chancellor |
Overall management of the response. |
| DVC |
Coordination of the progressive closure of the University activities. |
| PVC Education |
Manage the staged suspension of the teaching program. |
| PVC Research |
Manage the staged suspension of the research program, including the management of the closure of animal facilities. |
| PVC (Information) |
Manage the provision of ICT infrastructure, including support for staff working from home. |
| Director, HR |
Manage staffing issues related to response, including teleworking, repatriation from overseas, and family support. |
| Director, F&S |
Manage site maintenance and security issues
Liaison with the relevant service providers (eg. Utilities, cleaning, waste removal).
Manage the provision of campus facilities, including commercial facilities, in support of ACT community response. |
| Registrar |
Manage student related issues, including impacts on study programs and visa extensions |
| Director, CELO |
Provision of information on the response status to the campus community
Manage distribution of public health information.
Manage all media interaction. |
| University Solicitor |
Provide advice on relevant legal issues. |
| Director, University Accommodation |
Coordinate the use of campus accommodation, in cooperation with area management, to support campus and broader community needs. |
The following additional members of the Team with be seconded, as required, to assist in managing the response including liaison with external areas, such as the health authorities, DFAT and state/territory emergency management authorities, as well as, direct support of the campus community:
• Director, RMAO
• Associate Director, Facilities and Services
• Head Systems & Desktop Services
• Director, CIS
• Head, University Counselling Centre
• Associate Director, Employment Services, HR
• Manager, Infrastructure Services, DOI
• Manager Security and Campus Services, Facilities and Services
• Director, Financial and Business Services
Secretariat will be coordinated by Director, RMAO and Associate Director, Facilities and Services.
4. Human Pandemic Influenza Risk
This plan deals with the impact of Human Pandemic Influenza (the human to human transmission of disease) on the campus community and University operations.
The University risk in a pandemic fall into two groups:
- Direct exposure to the disease - the campus being quarantined as part of a larger regional response to a pandemic risk
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- Indirect exposure to the disease - a pandemic in another area within Australia or overseas. In this case there may be staff or students on official travel in those locations. However, the greater risk is that there are students from those areas who could not return home and therefore would be reliant on the University for support(particularly, accommodation).
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5. Direct exposure
The response to a pandemic within Australia will be managed in accordance with the Australian Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza
However, the operational response to pandemics has been devolved to States and Territories, each of which has its own Health Management Plan.
The University will comply with the conditions of these respective State and Territory plans, cooperating as appropriate to assist the local emergency authorities in implementing an effective response. The Health Management Plans for the States and Territories where the University has operational activities are published at the following links:
Given the potential for infected people to overwhelm the hospital system, respective emergency authorities will apply a triage approach. Only the most seriously ill will be hospitalized and consequently there is an expectation that people would stay at home/remain in bed until it was clear that they needed to be moved.
From a University perspective, this means two things in the event of a pandemic that quarantines the ACT:
- All but essential activities are stopped. ACT staff and students are instructed to stay at home.
- If it is not possible for residential students to return to their home, they will remain in the Halls/Colleges supported by the University.
5.1 Progressive reduction of University activities:
The most likely scenario, based on past events, is that a pandemic threat will emerge progressively, giving governments and institutions the ability to established a staged response. Given that, the most effective University response to a pandemic threat is the progressive reduction of campus activity as the threat escalates. To this end, the University will monitor the threat levels using the information provided by the Federal Government and will scale down its operations in accordance with the risk to its community and activities. The progressive reduction of activities will include the following:
- Closure of campus based amenities where large crowds gather, including libraries, lecture theatres, University House, University Union, Sports and Recreation Association and commercial businesses.
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- Closure of child care facilities (noting the potential impact on staff and students with children in care).
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- Suspension of the undergraduate teaching program.
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- Suspension of course based post graduate study.
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- Residents sent home and Residential Halls and Colleges closed.
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- Progressive reduction of administrative and operational support activities.
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- Progressive scaling back of research activities.
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- Full closure of the University, with only minimal support activities being maintained.
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Attachment A provides a framework for the progressive reduction of activities. This frame work is a guide only. The overall response will be based on the actual circumstances and the rate of escalation of the threat.
5.2 Public Health Advice
As a pandemic threat increases, the relevant Territory/State health authority will engage their respective pandemic response strategy. Part of these strategies include minimizing the likelihood of the disease transmission by establishing quarantine and by circulation of public health advice (eg. wearing of masks,
reducing exposure to the disease by avoiding public areas/activities; minimizing person to person contact etc)
As part of this response, the Director, HR will liaise with the relevant authorities and manage the distribution of public health advice (including campus specific advice) to the campus community.
5.3 Management of residences during quarantine
In the event that the ACT is quarantined and it is not possible to return residents to their home region/country, the University will, where practical, support them in residential halls. In this event, the Director, University Accommodation, in consultation with relevant Halls/Colleges, will manage the following key issues:
Access to and operation of the self catering kitchens. It is likely as the threat escalates the catered dining halls will be closed down – making it critical for self catered facilities to be available to all residents. Strategies will need to be developed to stockpile non perishable food, roster meal times to cope with volumes and manage hygiene.
Isolation and support of residents who are ill. Where residents are showing signs of having contracted human pandemic influenza, but are not sick enough to warrant admittance to hospital, they will need to be isolated from the broader population. Management will need to identify a suitable location within the Halls to quarantine residents and establish a team (in consultation with the ACT Health authorities) to provide support, such as cleaning, catering, laundering and first aid.
Use of volunteer workforce: The management will establish a volunteer workforce from within the residents, to provide a range of support services, including administering to the ill, cleaning, laundering and waste removal
5.4 Campus wide support
In the event of a major crisis requiring the University to provide organizational support to its own community and, elements of the wider regional community, facilities such as commercial kitchens, accommodation and appropriate open plan space will be resumed for use during the emergency. This response will be managed by the Director, Facilities and Services in consultation with the relevant campus parties and health/emergency groups.
6. Indirect Exposure
A more likely risk to the University community is the indirect exposure to a pandemic event. This is in two forms:
- Staff or students travelling in an overseas location, where a pandemic event occurs
- Residential students from an affected area, not able to return home
6.1 Staff or students working in an infection zone
Research and teaching occur in various overseas locations, including Asia and the Pacific regions where a number of outbreaks of avian flu have been reported. It is reasonable to assume that there is a greater likelihood that, if the disease mutates, human to human transmission will occur in these areas. The University will manage this risk in the following way:
- Where outbreaks have been reported, formal travel to the area will be subject to approval by the Vice Chancellor or delegate
- Where staff or students are located in the area of an outbreak, Director HR (in consultation where appropriate, with the relevant DFAT or consular authorities)will manage their evacuation from the infection zone.
- Where quarantine has been established in the area, the event will be subject to management by local authorities and support of Australian staff and students will be provided by consular authorities. The Director, HR will liaise with those authorities as appropriate and will also coordinate, with relevant University department, any support required by the staff or students’ families.
6.2 Residential students not able to return home
Where residential students are not able to return home because quarantine restrictions have been applied in their country, the University will provide support as appropriate for a reasonable period. This may include ongoing access to accommodation and catering. These situations will be managed by the Registrar, in consultation with the relevant University areas. The Registrar will also assist the student, as appropriate, in dealing related to their visa.
7. Review of Plan
This Plan and associated University procedures will be reviewed on an annual basis.
The Risk Management Advisory Committee will establish a review process and provide a report to the Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Version update 1 May 2009 |
