COMPANY TRAVEL POLICY

E Co is committed to ensuring and improving the personal security and safety of staff and associates when traveling for the business. Overall this falls under our company Health and Safety policy. The company has procedures in place to ensure staff and associates, receive travel safety training, complete the pre travel assessment form, have valid travel insurance and provide an itinerary of each trip.

Specifically related to travel, the following procedures apply:

• Travel safety awareness training - all staff are trained in travel safety, and awareness frequently refreshed.
• Pre-travel assessment is designed to support the safe travel and wellness of staff when travelling for the business.
• Emergency Situations - For each trip, you should have saved contact emails and telephone numbers for the Client, Team Leader, other team members on your laptop, phone and any other devises. These details should also be included in your itinerary.

ADMINISTRATION ROLE

The Administrator will:

• review the travel policy
• review the travel safety awareness training programme
• maintain and update the Travel pages in the staff handbook
• maintain the confidential database of travel documents
• keep a record of itineraries
• provide list of available travel items
• be a point of contact.

TEAM LEADER ROLE

The Team Leader needs to ensure:

• the pre-travel assessment has been completed and address, with the individual/s travelling, areas of health and safety and risk rating for the travel location, prior to any travel being booked
• Be a point of contact

INDIVIDUAL ROLE & ACTIONS

Each person travelling is required to complete:

• the travel safety awareness training and testing as set by the Company
• the pre-travel assessment form prior to each trip and discuss any issues with the Team Leader
• a travel itinerary and send to the Administrator and Team Leader.

The below guidance are areas covered in the pre-travel assessment form.

General

• Before you travel, seek security advice on the country you will be travelling to.
• Check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice, or your relevant government travel information. For British employees the link is https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
• You can find out about the emergency support that the Foreign Office can provide here.
• You should also check the US State Department’s travel advice here and the Australian Government’s advice for travellers here.
• Before you travel, ensure you have completed a detailed itinerary to include destination, hotel details, client contact & emergency contact information and send it to the Administrator and Team Leader.
• Once you have arrived, ensure that you inform the E Co team leader and let them know where you are staying.
• The most common cause of injury for business traveller's is road traffic accidents. Remember to wear a seat belt when using all modes of transport, where possible.

We maintain a confidential database of travel documents (passport scans, insurance, etc.). Please email them to Funda to be added to the database. We also advise you to make photocopies of your vital travel documents: keep one set at home and one in the bottom of your suitcase.

Vital travel documents:

• Passport
• Yellow Fever certificate
• Relevant passport visa entry pages
• Insurance policy details with number to call in event of an emergency
• Driving licence- although it is sometimes advisable not to drive when travelling abroad
• Vaccination record book
• Important contact telephone numbers
• Spare passport photographs

Health

• It is important to take precautions to ensure that you remain in good health while travelling.
• You should seek advice about vaccinations at least 8 weeks before you’re due to travel because some vaccinations need to be given well in advance.
• Remember that tap water may not be safe to drink and food may be contaminated in countries where sanitation is poor.
• Please see the Travel Health Pro website for more information and for country-specific information on sanitation: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries
• Water purification bottles are available to borrow from E Co. (contact Funda to request). Note that they cannot be carried in your hand luggage.
• Find out about recent health alerts that may affect your travel at https://www.healthmap.org/en/
• For disease prevention advice, information about vaccinations, and general health advice for travellers, see the NHS website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: https://www.cdc.gov/.

Recommended books:

• The Essential Guide to Travel Health 'Bugs, bites and bowels' by Jane Wilson-Howarth
• ISBN-13-: 1-86011-332-x
• 'Traveller's Health' by Dr Richard Dawood: ISBN 978-0-19-921416-7

Essential Travel Items:

• First Aid kit - these are available from E Co. (contact Funda to request)
• Sterile needle set if you require this
• Head torch/small torch - these are available from E Co. (contact Funda to request)
• Hats appropriate to your environment
• Sunglasses
• Money belt - clip fastener
• Sun cream - with high UVA protection
• Mosquito net - for malaria areas, especially for high threat malaria countries - these are available from E Co. (contact Funda to request)
• Insect repellent - recommended DEET content of 30 -50%
• Wet wipes/antibacterial gels - simple hygiene will reduce the risk of diarrhea
• Travel adapters

Useful Items -particularly for travelling to developing countries or more remote areas:

• Day sack: 15 - 20L max, very useful for disguising the presence of a digital camera, laptop etc
• Door guard lock
• Padlock for rooms and suitcases and a small chain (combination not key)
• Whistle/rape alarm - particularly advisable for female business travellers
• Compass or GPS - if travelling in remote areas
• Travel pillow
• Water bottle (perhaps with built in purification filter) and purification tablets - these are available from E Co. (contact Funda to request)
• Penknife/leatherman - make sure it isn't in your hand luggage when flying
• Flight socks to help prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis - for long-haul flights

Accommodation

• Make use of the safety features in your hotel room: the safe, door chain, peephole, and avoid leaving balcony doors and windows open at night, especially if your room is on the ground floor.
• Be aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning while staying in your accommodation.
• Look out for the following signs of a faulty appliance that is producing carbon monoxide: a weak, yellow or orange flame on a hob or gas boiler, sooty stains on or near appliances, and excessive condensation in a room.
• The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning to watch out for are: headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.

Please ensure to complete the overseas pre-travel assessment, which addresses all required areas of health and safety for you to take into account before travelling.

Page owner: Funda