The British Standards Institution, a U.K. body that defines
more than 2,000 industry standards per year, has attempted to bring some
conformity to travel risk management by publishing a code of practice. It
designated the code as a Publicly Available Specification, meaning a document
that standardizes elements of a product, service or process.
PAS 3001
Travelling for work—Responsibilities of an organization for health, safety and
security—Code of practice recommends commitments
organizations can make to:
- create travel risk policy
- identify threats and hazards
- assess risks
- develop prevention strategies
- manage incidents
- develop training
- organize documentation
- manage communications
- evaluate risk management programs
The code's sponsor, International SOS, and numerous U.K.
institutions like the Association of Insurance and Risk Managers in Industry
and Commerce, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and the Trades
Union Congress developed the code and signed off unanimously.
Organizations can use the code on its own or
integrate it into wider health and safety processes. It's voluntary, and
adoption of its practices is no guarantee of immunity from liability. But, said
BSI project manager Matt Bonnamy, creating a systematic travel risk management
strategy "offers a lot of potential benefits, including diminishing
potential for criminal liability" in the event of misfortune befalling an
employee.
"There was no previous standard in this
area," he continued, "yet more people are traveling for business than
in the past and there has been a perceived increase in travel risk." The
introduction to the document notes: "Globally, there are limited health
and safety regulations for crossborder workers. However, there is more
convergence on case law that requires organizations to be responsible for
health, safety and security issues. Currently, two countries, Canada and
Australia, have made it clear that their domestic health and safety executive
laws will apply overseas." Bonnamy said the Canadian and Australian
declarations were "another reason why this standard should come into
existence."