Terror attacks have underlined the key responsibilities of employers

LONG before 9/11 there were countries and regions which international travellers and any employer sending them there had to be wary of, because of their high level of volatility. While the world has never been a completely safe place, the rise of extremist-led global terrorism and other circumstances now means there is a higher degree of danger in what may have previously been considered safe destinations. The horrific events in Manchester last week testify to that.

Along with the UK, France, Germany and Sweden have all been subject to recent terror incidents which brought mayhem to the streets and sadly resulted in the loss of innocent civilians. Without overemphasising the existing risk in these and other western nations, which remain relatively safe, what has been significant in most of these recent attacks is the random and undiscriminating nature of the victims they have targeted. As we saw in Manchester, even young children are not immune to being targeted; meanwhile the ages and nationalities of the victims of the horrific terrorist carnage on Westminster Bridge in March were varied and among those killed were EU and US citizens.

These and other incidents which have occurred in what are normally secure destinations bring the issue of travel safety to the fore. They also serve as a reminder to any company or organisation sending their people to work abroad that they bear responsibility for their well-being, regardless of where they are heading to conduct their business.

Foreign travel is undoubtedly an essential element of doing business or conducting operations for many companies and organisations. It does, however, present a threat which is arguably greater than at any time in living memory.

First, there is the potential threat to those employees who travel abroad as well as those who operate in bustling UK cities such as London.

Secondly, there is the threat to the employer. Since the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 was introduced, British employers now have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their travelling employees. The Act puts the onus for duty of care firmly on the company or organisation. Failure to do so in the event of a tragic incident could result in serious personal legal consequences, including imprisonment, for a firm’s directors.

Even in light of recent incidents, the everyday threat of violence

Andrew Newton, Head of Corporate Travel Europe at Direct Travel

remains relatively rare in western nations when compared with the Middle East and some Asian regions, which have suffered a far higher level of loss from terror incidents, as well as some of the important emerging economies including Algeria, Nigeria and even certain regions within India.

In these places, as we have seen in recent years, the potential of terrorism and kidnap is a very real danger for business travellers. Because of both commercial opportunities and, in many cases, humanitarian requirements which exist in these and other international danger zones it is unlikely the potential threats will stop companies and organisations from sending people there. It is therefore vital that both travellers and their employers take precautions to manage the risks.

This starts with establishing an initial awareness of a region’s volatility – the Foreign Office website is an ideal source for this information – and then determining the employee’s own attitude to risk to ensure that they are aware of any potential dangers within the particular destination they are going to.

Any companies which regularly conduct business abroad should consider tracking methods which can be used as part of this process, from basic means like SMS messaging to implementing more advanced systems which provide 24/7 monitoring. This is an effective means of keeping regular contact with staff and, in the event of a security incident, ensuring they can be provided with a potentially valuable lifeline.

Of course much of this pre-emptive planning comes down to the individual situation, the local knowledge of the people who are on-site and the facilities they have available.

Having a robust communication process in place where an employer can make urgent contact with their people in the event of a crisis is, however, an effective means of demonstrating a commitment to their moral responsibility. Given the severe consequences for failing in that duty, it is also a common sense measure.

While it’s important that we don’t go overboard in pursuing security, this needs to be weighed up against the current challenges we face and the enhanced legal responsibility to ensure human safety in an increasingly unstable world.

Agenda is a column for outside contributors.

Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk