What should companies know about safe travel programs?
Firms with crisis management services are able to offer clients a safe travel program that focuses on personal security and safety for all personnel while deployed around the globe. This ensures that preparation and operating procedures reflect consistent best practices. This solution can be combined with an insurance product that covers a number of perils.
What components of a safe travel program should businesses implement?
A global threat and risk assessment tool that provides general and preventive measures, the production of detailed processes for HR and travel administration personnel, the development of general standards for pre-travel training or briefing, and robust corporate governance of travel risk.
Those are just a few examples, as the consulting approach is to tailor solutions to the specific needs of a business.
What type of pre-travel resources can crisis management services provide?
Crisis management provides numerous resources to businesses. From situational awareness training to region-specific cultural, language and safety training, crisis management can provide solutions to ensure employees are prepared to travel abroad.
In addition to training, employees can secure travel briefs, which provide critical information for their trips. Where is the nearest embassy relative to their hotel? In the event of a crisis, how would they get to the embassy? What are the best methods of transportation during the travel? What cultural norms should they be aware of?
Also, crisis management companies should have some sort of crisis management center: a 24-hour, 365-days-a-year center that provides security and crisis management support. The center should provide a watch of security-related world events giving early warning of potential issues. During an incident, it provides a focal point for command and control of a crisis.
What should a business look for in a crisis consultant?
Look for an organization that has the resources to fully assess your risks and the ability to help you mitigate those risks. You have a ‘duty of care’ to your employees. Your crisis consultant should provide the tools and resources to ensure you have provided your employees a safe workplace environment.
You also want a firm that can assess the local and global risks your company faces, make recommendations around improving your resilience and help you plan for effective crisis response. How a business responds to a crisis — and how this is perceived by customers and investors — has a critical effect on a company’s reputation. It is important that a business partner with a crisis consultant that has the capabilities to protect that very reputation.
Kevin Garvey is an account executive at Aon Risk Services Inc. Reach him at (216) 623-4145 or [email protected].