When acclaimed UK eatery, “Fat Duck,” once named the #1 eatery in the world, was stricken by a series of shellfish-related food poisonings earlier this year, it raised major questions over their safety procedures. With a total of 529 diners sickened and the owners unsure of the cause of their troubles, The Health Protection Agency was called in. In an article on their website, Bloomberg published the Agency’s findings:
“Several weaknesses in procedures at the restaurant may have contributed to ongoing transmission including: delayed response to the incident; staff working when they should have been off sick and using the wrong environmental cleaning products,” the agency said. “Delays in notification of illness may have affected the ability of the investigation to identify the exact reason for the norovirus contamination.”
In crisis management, any response to an incident must be both effective and near-instantaneous. Any unnecessary delays, such as those that (allegedly) occurred at the Fat Duck, could result in the situation spiraling quickly out of control.
JB
Jonathan Bernstein
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/