Health crisis management

T he more you reduce risk, the more what remains of it seems unbearable to the population", Alexis de Tocqueville.

Whether in the field of occupational or environmental health, many companies have had to deal with high-profile health crises, which have resulted in considerable costs and reputational damage that can jeopardize their survival. This is a particular concern for companies that do not operate in the health sector, and which consequently do not have a strong health risk culture. The fact that most crises are triggered by low-risk situations, or even by the absence of any real risk, is disturbing for engineers' rationality.

It is therefore important to understand the dissociation between the notions of risk and crisis. The question of uncertainty is central to these issues. More often than not, it is the difficulty of correctly managing situations of uncertainty that leads to a crisis. The fact that the social perception of risks is only partially linked to their frequency or severity is a crucial point.

Dealing with crises obviously requires communication skills. But it's a mistake to believe that good communication is enough to avoid them. Of course, there are many pitfalls in this area, but the ability to rigorously assess risks is another pillar of crisis and pre-crisis management.

All companies are potentially concerned by the fact that risks to employees, local residents or consumers can lead to destabilizing crises. So they need to be prepared. It's not just a question of specialized health and safety skills. Above all, it's a question of organization, and one that needs to be addressed by the head of the company. Preparing a crisis management plan is necessary, but not sufficient. In situations marked by high levels of scientific uncertainty, responsiveness, managerial agility, the ability to analyze the issues at stake and quantitative risk assessment tools are important determinants.

Using concrete examples, this article aims to provide a framework for analyzing such situations, so as to characterize and avoid risks that could degenerate into crises. The first section explains the distinction between risk, alert, emergency and crisis. The second section presents the main factors behind health safety crises. The final section proposes a guide to managing these situations, which are marked by the double threat of under- or over-reacting.