Travel safe what you NEED to know about business travel safety and security risk management

Travel Safe: What you NEED to know about travel safety and security

Travel Safe

What you NEED to know about travel safety and
security risk management
Copyright Tony Ridley 2011 Page 1 of 13


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted for
resale or use by any party other than the individual purchaser who is the sole authorized
user of this information. Purchaser is authorized to use any of the information in this
publication for his or her own use only. All other reproduction or transmission, or any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any
informational storage or retrieval system, is prohibited without express written permission
from the publisher.

LEGAL NOTICES: While all attempts have been made to provide effective, verifiable
information in this Book, neither the Author nor Publisher assumes any responsibility for
errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional.
If advice concerning business matters is needed, the services of a qualified professional
should be sought. This Book is not a source of business information, and it should not be
regarded as such. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative
information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that
the publisher is not engaged in rendering a business service. If expert business assistance
is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. As with any
business advice, the reader is strongly encouraged to seek professional business counsel
before taking action.

Published by: Tony Ridley PRINTED IN THE AUSTRALIA, DISTRIBUTED WORLDWIDE.

© 2011



Table of Contents

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If you want to learn about managing the safety and security of your business travelers
then you NEED to read this eBook.

Specifically we’ll discuss preparation, analysis, management, monitoring and response
to an active and successful travel risk management program.

After reading this eBook, you should know how to prevent or predict approximately 90%
to travel risks and act immediately to improve your own program.

Implementing a successful travel risk management strategy can be one of the easiest
corporate actions but the most difficult to get moving.

Too much time is wasted focusing on the wrong areas for assessment and
implementation that results in minor coverage for the major areas of concern.

Here we will simplify the process for immediate action or comparison.

+,,&*#%*-"%.*/"&*0/1,*
!"#$%"%&'()*

Preparation is the key and primary step for all programs, whether mature or
developing.

Any and all information that is collected, especially data, should be consolidated to
ensure consistency and accuracy.

Overcoming a “silo” mentally within the organization is also
paramount to consolidating.

Intent, progress and resolutions must be communicated to
all stakeholders in the most effective medium possible.

Managers should not limit themselves to the more traditional
mediums but also include popular social media offerings.

Key messages or content must be trackable or at least
acknowledged to ensure potentially life saving information isn’t lost in the vast
corporate email inbox or mislabeled as spam.

Each major milestone and change needs to be documented, rated and followed
channeled into the communication plan.

Time spent on effective preparation is rarely wasted and will pay dividends throughout
the course of the program’s lifecycle.



23/456,*

A relatively small consulting firm, who understood that they had a significant
investment in their consulting staff, was able to develop and implement an effective,
world-class travel risk management strategy in a matter of weeks.

Through a well-structured phase of preparation and mapping they were able to resolve
an issue that had consistently been pushed back because they had always assumed the
task was insurmountable.

+)%,-.'.*

Analysis of all key components associated with corporate travel must be conducted.

The first and most pivotal is the travelers themselves.

A profile and rating of each traveler needs to be developed. Questions around health,
experience, knowledge, function and even preparation are basic requirements.

With this information managers will be better
positioned to make accurate assessments on the
overall risk of any journey.

The location visited is the second element.

The threats vary greatly from location to location
and generalized ratings are useless if based on
such known vulnerabilities.

Trips to a key, developed city warrant different planning considerations than that of a
remote location in a developing economic country.

Different cities within the same country may have vastly differing threat concerns too.

Next is the activity to be undertaken by the traveler.

A conference, factory tour, expedition or client meeting all have differing threats and
planning considerations and are not adequately address by a “one-size-fits-all”
approach.

Additionally, the level of support afforded the traveler is considered.

This is not only those organic support options, such as internal support and providers,
but that of emergency services, infrastructure and so on.

The time it takes for an ambulance to respond can turn a “routine” incident into a
potentially fatal encounter.

Lastly, all the known or prevailing threats need to be assessed.



You can never know everything but an overall list and impact/potential outcomes
assessment needs to be conducted to complete the process if consistent and measurable
results are to be expected.

23/456,*

Due to changing economic challenges, a mid-sized company was pressured to seek new
business in developing countries and emerging markets.

Until this point they had always been reluctant to venture into such markets due
largely to their perception of risk.

Following structured and less superficial analysis they were able to fully appreciate the
actual threats and separate the more emotive elements.

With consultation with managers and travelers, they successfully expanded their
market and sought new business with less competition as their competitors continue to
lack the understanding and preparation to successfully pursue potentially lucrative
opportunities.

The result was not only travel safety but a competitive advantage too.

/%)%0#1#)&*

The greatest threat to preparation and analysis is an unsupervised or unmanaged
program once the traveler commences travel.

Ownership must be displayed and active management of travelers from a door of
departure until a door of return is achieved.

This must be conducted with frequency of effort
and regular communications to ensure the
traveler feels supported and management is
across the potential for change and
intervention.

This phase is a marathon and not a sprint.

The management of successful programs
requires consistency in conjunction with
frequency.

Relatively standardized approaches need to be applied to like situations/circumstances
for the purpose of efficiency, productivity, safety and cost control.

Demonstrable support is required both within the management group but to all
identified stakeholders such as travel management, security, the traveler, families, etc.



23/456,*

A company with tens of thousands of travelling personnel successfully manages the risks
and demands of travel with only a handful of people.

Their system and support mechanism is adaptive enough to support individual
requirements but automated enough to ensure efficiency by keeping headcount at
optimal and minimal levels while leveraging technology.

Their overall strategy is not managed by one department but all departments and
stakeholders work in collective unison at each and every stage from departure up to
return of the traveler to the office or their place of residence.

/()'&("')0*

Monitoring represents the Achilles’ heel for the majority of travel risk management
programs.

Ongoing monitoring of events and activities is required, whether this is carried out by
the traveler or higher support function such as HR or security.

Tactical events (those that occur within proximity of the traveler/travelers route)
should be scrutinized on a regular basis.

These events are the ones most likely to cause disruption or harm and should constitute
the priority of effort. Wider events or more strategic developments also need to be
monitored for change that will impact the traveler or group of travelers.

Tactical events include demonstrations,
storms, violence and the like while strategic
events include visa changes, political unrest,
health crisis and so on.

The actual journey taken by the traveler
should be regularly reviewed or automated to
report and respond to disruption events and
threats.

Finally, the individual needs to be monitored outside of the usual performance and
reporting requirement to ensure their health and wellbeing is preserved or unchanged.

23/456,*

Numerous companies have averted crisis and maintained productivity by monitoring
developing events.

Changes in weather, strikes, airline delays and even public holidays can occur at short
notice and outside of standard policy doctrine.

By keeping “a finger on the pulse” with active monitoring these companies maximize
their travel spending and ensure their travelers are highly productive and efficient.


Less vigilant companies who leave the process to static policy and dated knowledge are
forced to spend more or suffer unnecessary delays.

2#.$().#*

Bad things happen to good people all the time.

No plan is complete without a response capacity in support of the affected traveler.

The plan and steps must be painstakingly simple and clear so as to be remembered and
quickly implemented under the worst of situations.

The plan must be adaptive and simple in implementation so that it can build in
complexity and content after the initial activation or call for
assistance.

The plan may be infrequently called upon but it should
have consistency in application and capability.

All locations, activity, individuals and threats need to be
considered and inclusive of the response plan.

Above all, the plan needs to be timely in its application.

A distressed, affected traveler or manager must get the support and collaboration
required in the shortest possible time frame.

While the planning and preparation may be measured in days, weeks or months the
response should be valued in minutes and hours dependent on the need.

Most companies acknowledge this not their core competency and therefore part or all of
this function for maximum return and results.

23/456,*

A “seasoned traveler” from an acclaimed academic institution became unwell while
traveling for work purposes.

Despite years of experience and seniority at the institution they had in fact very little
knowledge or experience when it came to emergencies or supporting medical services in
the location they were when the became ill.

As a result of poor choices, lack of knowledge, no support, limited integration coupled
by a litany of local challenges the individual nearly died.

It was only through the swift and successful actions of a concerned spouse, engaging a
far more organized process with predictable results, did the individual receive the care
and support required to save their life and begin the long recovery process.



Conversely, one company experienced several similar incidents in a single month,
however not once were their travelers placed at such grave risk, suffered uncontrolled
costs or outright loss of productivity for long periods.

This was all due to a successful and scalable response capacity if and when required.

3"%')')0*

Plans are completely ineffective and all preparation wasted if travellers and those
responsible for the management of travel are not training and practiced in the plan/s.

Response is not intuitive to all and response is far less consistent when not provided with
best practice or multiple option training and development.

Travellers will never be able to fully script all their travel or responses but informed and
practical options reduce risk, wastage and increase productivity.

Training can take many forms and be communicated in various formats put it should all
form part of a structured plan and compliance.

The need and attendance of such training will depend on the activity and frequency of
the traveller/s.

This is not just for high threat areas
but more beneficial to all types and
locations of travel.

Training need not be boring or
routine for attendees and should
seek to cater to the variety of
audience demographic (seniority,
experience, prior attendance, etc.)
and replicate real-world
experiences (video, role play, video
games, etc.).

23/456,*

A large product launch was scheduled to take place in a multi-national company’s key
international market.

Few of the invitees and company representatives had actually travelled to the country
or city before, with some having limited travel experience at all.

The company identified the risk and prepared and distributed (and accounted for
completion prior to travel) for all attendees and support personnel.

Despite the size of the event, sizable attendee list and multiple disruption and safety
incidents, no one suffered any major injury and no major loss of continuity occurred.



The potential for considerably worse outcomes was avoided through identification of
the hazards, scripted plans, targeted-training and continuous monitoring and updates.

78,$,*&%*4%9#*)"()&,"#9*%(('$:*

The majority of incidents negatively affecting travelers
occur at airports, on the road, accommodation,
office/business location, social/leisure locations or
result of dynamic change.

As much as 90% of incidents and events occur in and
around these key locations.

+'"$("&.*

Airports must be included in any action plans or support strategies. It is often the
first/last leg of all journeys and likely to present delays and disruptions ranging from
flight delays to targeting by petty criminals.

Airports are typically further away from business activities or business travel and
accommodation locations.

Longer commutes are required for airports than almost any other stage of the journey,
barring flights.

Numerous direct and indirect events can impact upon the productivity, efficiency and
life safety of a traveller at airports.

Strikes, weather, accidents, transport, terrorism, fire and many other events can have a
wide spread affect on airports.

Limited accommodation, long waiting periods and numerous layers of security and
government checks can all add to the overall journey.

Plans need to include the use of approved airports; alternate plans should an airport
become inaccessible and support plausible events that could affect the traveller/s.

+44(11(5%&'()*

Accommodation of all kind must be evaluated and included in timely response and
advice communications.

Travel to and from intended accommodation needs to be examined and identified for
threat reduction options.

Threats posed to various geographical locations, cities, suburbs, hotel chains or
adjoining retail outlets all affect the overall threat posed to the traveller/s.



Choice of rooms, amenities, access and hotel planning and preparation should be
considered as complete discharge of responsibility to third parties provides inconsistent
results.

Emergency response resources and plans need to be pre-communicated to all travellers.

The functionality of accommodation to provide a platform for continuous and effective
communications for travellers is a key consideration often overlooked by planners.

Meals, out of hours, check in, entertainment, functions, special events, proximity and
many other non-standard elements must be included in plans and analysis.

2(%5*/(6#.*

Road moves remain the most prevalent and greatest for deadly consequences.

Motor vehicle accident rates vary wildly from country to
country.

Locations of business within the journey plan represent the
smallest of impact locations but demand inclusion.

Seat belts, vehicle serviceability, driver skills, tire changing
equipment, first-aid, speed and route selection are but a few
of the planning concerns.

Pre-selected transport or more random public transport
choices provide a varying degree of safety and security
threats.

Enroute crime and threats such as abduction or robbery should be considered.

The use and display of expensive items such as cameras, phones and laptops warrant
inclusion.

7(4'%,*%)5*8#'.9"#*+4&'6'&'#.*

Often forgotten, with tragic results, are social or leisure locations.

This element is likely to be largely unscripted but has a high rate of incidents and events
that negatively impact upon the traveler.

Meals, tourism, entertainment, social gatherings and non-business activity within the
course of a business trip are still potential hazards.

Less planning and focus, coupled with a sense of release by business travellers, makes
this area one of the most concerning but typically least scripted.



Concentration of personnel guidelines, report criteria, safety zones, emergency services
access and general travel information need to be accessible and usable by business
travellers.

Liability accepted or extended by the company in the event of the traveller consuming
alcohol or voiding prescribed recommendations should be clear and consistent.

:;%)0#*

The one constant with travel is change.

Elections, violent crimes, attacks and other major news events create change and
potential for concern, whether affected directly or not.

Planners and managers need to include this dynamic in the constant monitoring,
response and communication plans.

Increasingly, some of the
greatest travel
disruptions have not
occurred within
proximity of those finally
affected but within the
overall travel network
that has resulted in a
knock-on affect to all
those within the travel
corridor at the time of
occurrence.

Identification of immediate and developing change is only as effective as the ability to
condense the information and communicate it to affected travellers and managers.

Collection and analysis of frequent and infrequent historical events can provide a very
valuable resource for future and current planning.

While most companies are not to blame for the event that triggered change or
disruption, many are still measured and held accountable for their response and
effectiveness during such times.



;6%9,*

Most agree that travel is inherently risky or laced with threats but far less actually do
something about travel risk management as they don’t know where to start or see the
task too daunting.

As you can see, it is relatively straightforward to capture 90% of the problem and
manage the risk in a few simple steps.

With a methodical and consistent inclusive of preparation, analysis, management,
monitoring and response you too can have a world-class travel risk management
program.

Most events and concerns occur around airports, accommodation, road moves,
office/business locations, change and social leisure locations.

Now you know the key focus areas you have the information and plan to start now.

Even if you already have a plan and strategy, you can benchmark your own approach
with this information gathered from years of empirical data, thousands of incidents and
insight from thousands of companies ranging from small startup to some of the largest
multinationals around the globe.

Travel safe.

Tony Ridley

2011


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