Is your business eligible for the APEX Award?

The APEX Award is open to private sector Canadian businesses that demonstrate an independent pandemic plan or program.

Planning for a pandemic is crucial. A proper, well-managed pandemic preparedness plan allows businesses to prepare for what is likely to occur before, during, and after a pandemic outbreak. Knowing the facts can help keep employees protected, minimize financial losses, and assist communities in the event of a pandemic.

To be eligible for the APEX Award candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

• Companies and organizations that are Canadian-owned and operated
• Canadian subsidiaries of international companies or organizations
• Companies or organizations that operate solely or primarily in Canada regardless of ownership.

Nominees and award recipients will be divided into the following categories:

• Small, Medium Business (SMB) sector (companies with fewer than 500 employees)
• Large Business (companies with 500 or more employees)

The presence of the following criteria will be used when assessing nominations for the APEX Award:

Pandemic Core Values

Pandemic Recovery Objectives

Pandemic Planning Assumptions

Lessons learned and incorporated from 2009/2010 H1N1 experiences

Pandemic Policies, Practices, and Protocols addressing:

• Planning and coordination
• Corporate governance and management responsibility (including monitoring)
• Business continuity arrangements
• Sickness and absenteeism (including anti-viral program)
• Health insurance and benefits
• Internal and external communications
• Operational impacts
• Building infrastructure
• Supply chain
• Clients and markets
• Reputation damage
• Insurance

Risk Assessment

• Entity-wide objectives with specific pandemic objectives and priorities
• Activity-level objectives
• Risk Identification and assessment
• Managing change (risk mitigation due to change; changes in processes due to medical and government influences)

Control Environment

• Integrity and ethical values
• Commitment to competence
• Executive and board of directors
• Assignment of authority and responsibility
• Human resource policies and practices

Pandemic Information and Communication

• Internal and external
• Effective communication

Pandemic Control Activities

• Policies
• Procedures
• Actions

Pandemic Monitoring

• Ongoing monitoring
• Separate evaluations
• Reporting deficiencies

Pandemic Response Plans

• Corporate level
• Department or business unit level
• Site level

APEX Award for Pandemic Planning Excellence Disclaimer:

• Marsh Canada Limited may review at their discretion, the Pandemic Preparedness/Plan/Program/Framework elements, and/or business unit response plans of a candidate organization as part of the APEX Award for Pandemic Planning Excellence determination process.
• Neither Hoffman LaRoche Canada Ltd. nor Marsh Canada Limited accept any responsibility for loss, damage or claims caused by or resulting from the APEX Award program and/or caused by or resulting from any nominee's pandemic plan.
• Without limiting the forgoing, neither Hoffmann-La Roche Limited. nor Marsh Canada Limited will be responsible or assume any liability for (a) late, lost, illegible, or incomplete applications; (b) any other errors associated with the APEX Award program; (c) any ineffectiveness of any pandemic program/plan;(d) any direct, indirect, special, consequential, punitive, exemplary, incidental damages.
• Neither the review of an application and/or nomination, nor the conferring of an award, constitutes an endorsement of the reviewed/awarded pandemic program, framework or plan.