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TRAVEL RISK MANAGEMENT 2015
Ironically it has always been at the heart of Global Management; especially in economic sectors where there have always been a mobile workforce, e.g. the oil and gas, energy and mining industries.
The global evolution of Travel Risk Management
The Risk Manager is a fairly recent position which only appeared in the two last decades. As such the Risk Manager's role seems to become more and more ubiquitous in any organisation that wishes to extend its activities internationally. This is led mainly by the evolution of business activities themselves led by transnational organisations. Risk Managers combine both insurance and security aspects into a holistic perception of the risks and problems faced by international workers. This is why Risk Managers now represent the best solution for organisations focusing on their workers’ well-being and the success of their assignments.
For all these reasons, organisations are now taking a comprehensive approach to managing these risks by incorporating them within their broader occupational health, safety and security functions.
Not just a European or Western concept, Travel Risk Management is a worldwide concern. More and more organisations are working on awareness programmes and strategies to implement appropriate and effective policies regarding these new risks. Recent studies in India6, New Zealand7 or Singapore8 confirm this international positioning toward a better understanding of the Travel Risk Management’s current stakes and issues.
Risk Managers now represent the best solution for Implementing regional and national organisations focusing on their workers’ well-being Travel Risk Management policies and and the success of their assignments. raising awareness across Europe is a
huge challenge. Each country has its own understanding of what health, safety and security for organisations should be.
Indeed, there are different levels of maturity depending on the country’s legal framework, definition of legal and moral responsibilities as well as institutional and organisational global awareness of Travel Risk Management. Europe made a great step forward with the European Council Directive 89/391/EEC issued in June 1989. This is being legally transposed to all European Union Member States. The directive ensures legal compliance for workers on the regional and international scales. It also enforces the emergence of a Duty of Vigilance amongst organisations.
Although this European framework remains fairly general it has inspired national lawmakers to address the rising awareness of international health, safety and security issues by organisations. Lawmakers are increasingly involved in enforcing a national legal framework of obligations and prevention measures toward organisations, institutions and overall, workers. For example, the French law proposal (Loi Potier) includes coercive measures on companies to comply with their moral and legal responsibilities toward their workers, subcontractors and even their subcontractors’ subcontractors.9
The DLA Piper study aims at providing a global overview of the legal implementation of Travel Risk Management policies in Europe as well as in national legislations. This study offers Risk Managers a high-level vision of how this space is increasingly more significant in Europe.
Travel Risk Management is sound business and a concrete investment
FERMA and International SOS have been actively implicated in guidance on Risk Management’s issues in Europe, and this for many years. The main message has been to underline the benefits of implementing efficient Travel Risk Management policies for organisations regarding their legal responsibilities, workers’ health, safety and security as well as business continuity.
The Return on Prevention10 study issued by Prevent11 in collaboration with the International SOS Foundation had already demonstrated to which extent preventative policies in Travel Risk Management can save lives, money and reputation.
It also shows the importance of being a guarantor of effectiveness and liability in international assignments responsibilities’ management.
This paper aims to profile the new trends and best practices in the field of Travel Risk Management for international workers.
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