***** Workplace Strategies for Pandemic Preparedness. By Excal Visual,www.efilmgroup.com (Web); VHS, DVD, or CD-ROM; $495.

For several years, we have been hearing about the coming influenza pandemic. Some people have begun to disregard the risk, but security professionals know that it is prudent to make preparations.

Various tools exist to help. One of those tools, Workplace Strategies for Pandemic Preparedness, is essentially a starter kit for putting together a training program at organizations of all types. It is centered around a video explaining the nature of the problem, including differentiation between an epidemic and a broader pandemic. At 15 minutes, the video is short but well-made and interesting. It clearly covers the topic in an easy-to-understand manner, yet it is obviously intended for those having little or no knowledge of the subject.

The purchase also includes a trainer’s guide, some handouts, quizzes, and an official brochure from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The package comprises a convenient tool for making employees and executives aware of the potential business and personal disruptions should pandemic flu indeed descend upon us. Yet there is little here that could not be assembled independently, and at nearly $500, the product is extremely overpriced.

Reviewer: Mayer Nudell, CSC, is an independent consultant on crisis management, contingency planning, and related issues. He is a member of ASIS International.