As fears about the Swine flu pandemic increase the freight forwarding industry has announced that it is in a good position to deal with it if it increases and worsens as is expected.

In the UK, a House of Lords committee recently warned that the NHS was not prepared to deal with the disease if it becomes more widespread and lethal, as is predicted for this Autumn.

The freight forwarding industry is also under pressure. According to an industry spokesperson absentee levels are rising on a daily basis and as a result staffing schedules are constantly having to be reorganized by logistics operators.

There are 2.3 million people employed within the freight forwarding sector in the UK and clearly if the estimated 8% of people catches Swine flu it will have a significant effect on transportation to and from the country.

Having said this, the industry is confident that it will be able to cope with the expected pressures that an increased outbreak of the disease could create. After all, freight forwarding is subject to seasonal trends and operational difficulties and as a result the flu pandemic could be viewed in this context.

Key personnel within the industry have been working hard over the last few months to develop contingency plans to counter a further and greater outbreak of Swine Flu. These plans include providing support to affected regions from less badly affected ones.

Moreover, the situation is being continuously monitored so that these contingency plans can be refined and updated as required. The industry is also keeping its customers and employees as up to date as possible regarding Swine Flu developments and how it plans to respond to them.

The main objective is of course to protect staff as much as possible in the event of a regional outbreak and to follow the government's advice.