While such aggression from North Korea is routine, the threats and actions taken this year have been more extreme, causing nervousness for expatriates living in South Korea. According to this CNN story, some are taking precautions – like packing travel bags with extra clothing, toiletries and passports. They want to be prepared, while at the same time carrying on with their daily lives.

While tensions have eased somewhat since the end of April and the likelihood of a major conflict on the peninsula remains very low, the underlying issues have not been resolved. Like those expats, business and organizations should look at reasonable precautions – including updating their emergency response and business continuity plans. They should be thinking about how they can track and contact their travelers and expatriates in case of an escalation or emergency.

These precautions hold true for any area of the world, and companies should always be thinking about Duty of Care and travel risk management, not just during times when countries are in the headlines.

Some additional items to consider in travel risk management:

• Identify which plans already exist;
• Adopt a plan or update an existing plan. Refreshing plans you already have is important to avoid failures;
• Test the plan to find any gaps; a one-size plan does not fit all organizations;
• Determine who has ownership of the plan and identify a champion.

Individuals in an organization should not be alone in this process; there should be an entire network that comes together in a Duty of Care plan – including upper management, HR, security, medical, risk and insurance. Bring all stakeholders together regularly to discuss crisis response and hold drills to identify effectiveness and debrief to improve processes going forward. That way, when trouble strikes, you know your organization is prepared.

Learn more about Duty of Care planning with this eight part thought leadership series, including Step 2, How to Script Your Plan Ahead of Time. On May 23, International SOS will host Step 7: Advise and Assist.

The poll questions asked of participants during the webinar shows that many are tracking their most important asset – their people – to keep them safe and know where they are if an emergency happens. Here are a few:

1. In the question “Before your travelers leave for a work-related destination, does your organization advise them on the destination’s risks as well as how to mitigate them?” Forty-eight percent of respondents said that they always do this, and have formalized procedures and infrastructure for collecting and delivering the information to employees before they leave. Another 43 percent of respondents said it “varies – we have supplied advance information in the past, but have no formalized procedure and don’t do it all the time.”
2. Another question asked “Does your organization see value (and/or believe it has a responsibility) to keep track of where your employees are traveling on behalf of work.” Hands down the participants said “yes” with a resounding 94 percent.

Clearly, Duty of Care and making sure travelers are safe is a top of mind. And that’s a great thing to see.

Read the executive briefing from the webinar – part of an eight step Duty of Care series – which includes best practices and tips for keeping your travelers and expatriates safe. You can also view the presentation and listen to the recording.

So take the time this week to make sure your organization is fulfilling its Duty of Care when it comes to training and educating your global workforce. With proper planning and education, it’s a disease that can be prevented, and organizations can play a huge role.

Organizations are increasingly recognizing that Duty of Care in many cases includes a proactive and preventative plan to keep their employees healthy, safe and secure. So, what can your organization do to prevent malaria? Here are a few actionable considerations:

• Travel policies for employees headed to malarial zones should include e-learning, as well as medical resources like prophylaxis (medication), advice and assistance. Provide bed nets, monitor cases and educate travelers on the use of insect repellent. Make sure your employees are fully informed about the risks and their personal responsibility to ensure they are not infected nor become severely ill;
• A Malaria Control Policy should ensure adequate prevention measures and access to early diagnosis as well as treatment across employee populations;
• Many US and European hospitals lack the expertise and diagnostic tools to properly manage a patient with potential malaria. Have a plan in place to ensure employees can quickly access care;
• Consider having your legal or risk management departments review the measures you have taken to protect employees to ensure the company is limiting its exposure and meeting Duty of Care responsibilities.

International SOS statistics show that malaria is the number one cause of hospitalizations and evacuations for travelers and expatriates in Africa. Most fatalities for business travelers occur in their home countries after they return from a trip or assignment. That’s because symptoms can be similar to other illnesses; travelers may not think to tell their physician that they were in a malaria zone, which can make diagnosis difficult; and treatment can be difficult to maintain where malaria is not commonplace.

Review this helpful Q&A document for additional information.

Genetic analysis suggests that the current A(H7N9) virus has re-assorted with another bird flu virus, A(H9N2) to form a completely novel virus that can infect humans. The last time a re-assortment like this occurred was back in 2009 when the swine flu virus H1N1 caused a worldwide pandemic. Although this time around, it appears human-to-human spread is limited and the main risk is to individuals that have regular contact with poultry or other livestock. The risk to the average expatriate or traveler in China appears to be very low at this time if appropriate precautions are taken.

If A(H7N9) develops the ability to spread from person to person easily, it may very well cause a pandemic. The SARS epidemic of 2003 gave us a preview of what might happen if a deadly infectious disease spreads around the world. If the H7N9 virus becomes easily spreadable, it will likely be far more devastating and have a wider global impact than SARS.

To fulfill their Duty of Care, companies need to prepare in advance for a possible pandemic. The main focus is not only to ensure employee health but to also maintain business continuity. To do so, organizations should consider the following measures:

• Monitor an evolving potential pandemic as it is a dynamic situation and can change on a daily basis.
• Keep up-to-date with recommendations from reliable sources and health experts, which are likely to change during the different phases of the pandemic.
• Ensure clear communication between staff, health practitioners, and government and non-government organizations.
• Reduce the chances that employees become infected.
• Reduce the risk that employees and mission-critical staff become infected at the same time.
• Identify beforehand employees who fall into the “high risk” groups and ensure their health care is optimized.
• Identify when essential staff and dependents should be moved from their present location.

If your organization has not already developed a pandemic plan or it’s been a few years since you last looked at it, now is the time get things in order to ensure you’re prepared to withstand the impact of a pandemic.  Even if the current H7N9 outbreak turns out to have a limited spread, history has shown it is only a matter of time before we see the next pandemic, and having a well defined Pandemic Plan will be essential to maintain business continuity and fulfill your Duty of Care.

For more information on H7N9, see these stories on CCTV America and NBC News. Also, take a look at a webinar from earlier this week, see the slides and listen to the recording. The webinar also includes interesting poll results on what organizations think of and how they are handling the virus.

Right now, the strain does not appear to spread easily between people. However, it is unclear how these people contracted the H7N9 virus, although it may have been through direct contact with infected birds.

Unlike well-known avian influenza H5N1, birds with H7N9 may not become sick, making it harder to determine how widely the virus has spread. Antiviral medications Tamiflu and Relenza might be effective if given early in the illness. There is no vaccine presently available. Symptoms are flu-like and include fever, headache, cough and muscle pain that can quickly lead to shortness of breath and pneumonia.

Our own International SOS data shows that in 2012, China was the fifth most popular destination for business travelers with over 180,000 individual journeys. So, what do travelers need to know? And how can organizations demonstrate their Duty of Care to keep their travelers (and expatriates and their families) to affected areas safe?

At this time, it appears that there is little risk to people residing in or traveling to China and no need to alter plans if appropriate precautions are taken. People traveling to or residing in China are advised to:

• Avoid contact with sick animals, including cats and dogs.
• Avoid live animal markets, poultry farms or pig farms.
• Do NOT handle any birds, even if they appear well, and do not swim in any body of water that is used by birds.
• Always maintain high levels of personal hygiene. Wash hands frequently, before and after food preparation and before eating.
• Thoroughly cook all poultry and poultry products, including eggs.
• Monitor the advice of local health authorities – they may be implementing screening of travelers returning from Shanghai or other affected areas.

While traveler and expatriate safety is a priority, at the same time, organizations are brushing up on their internal global pandemic plans, reviewing their strategies and implementing the lessons learned from previous outbreaks, including the most recent pandemic of H1N1 in 2009.

In the Americas, International SOS will host a webinar on the latest H7N9 situation – as well as update the corona virus outbreak – from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, April 16. Earlier this week, International SOS colleagues in Asia hosted a webinar. You can listen to the recording and download the slides. Visit International SOS’ pandemic preparedness site for more information. There are also in-person events planned in China.

You can also read additional FAQs on H7N9 from the World Health Organization.

They are always last resorts and are never “only security” or “only medical” events. They are always a combination of the two. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti is a prime example, as workers, expatriates and their families dealt not only with injuries sustained in the quake itself, but also with the deteriorating public health conditions and the unraveling of the social fabric.

Evacuations all take meticulous planning, both on the part of the organization whose employees are affected and the assistance provider.

Duty of Care
Through globalization, more and more companies do work in high-risk locations, but that’s not necessarily where disaster strikes.  Therefore, it’s part of an organization’s Duty of Care to protect their travelers and expatriates and their families from “foreseeable risk.”

Duty of Care includes a successful travel risk management plan. Organizations should assess the level of risk to their employees, while preparing them and the entire organization to respond in the event of a crisis and understand what a successful outcome looks like.

Devil in the Details
When an evacuation is needed, the c-suite may turn to the security department for answers. Are our people safe? Are they accounted for? Do they have the tools needed to survive until they can safely leave? In the moment, it’s easy to be thrown off track. Common derailers include the most capable executives who panic or overact, so managing expectations is critical.

The organization’s assistance provider should be constantly monitoring situations worldwide and have personnel on the ground. Certain events resulting in staff feeling unsafe may trigger an evacuation decision. For example: looting in the streets, rebel forces marching toward a city, government officials fleeing the country and leaving it in disarray, or a disruption of water and electricity. The security director will have to time the evacuation order before the airspace shuts down, the borders close or the roads become unsafe to travel.

Mind the Gaps
Communication is especially important, and also must be part of any organization’s plan. Both the assistance provider’s and organization’s crisis management teams must be able to communicate with affected travelers and expatriates and pinpoint their locations. In recent crises, while voice and e-mail communications may be down, text messages have had a better chance of getting through. They do not replace phone calls, but they can be a vital link.

In the end, an integrated risk management plan—coupled with an emergency response plan—cannot be overemphasized. It’s the best way organizations can protect the safety and well-being of their staff.

Read the entire story in this month’s Security Magazine.

I had the opportunity last week to moderate a webinar, “Who Needs to Know What? How to Communicate, Educate and Train Your Global Workforce” with Patti Clavier from Intel, Craig DeCampli from KPMG, and Jean McCall from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. This was “Step 5” in our 8-Step Duty of Care series. It was a great session that included a lot of solid best practices on communicating with your travelers and expatriates.

During each webinar, we ask participants various poll questions that deal with Duty of Care. This one yielded especially interesting results. Not surprisingly, most communicate health and safety programs with their employees via e-mail. But what is surprising is how often policies and procedures are communicated – 44-percent said they communicate just once a year.

In fact, our panelists said that “once and done” communication is never enough and suggested regular communication – at least once a quarter -  keeps these issues top of mind for your travelers and expatriates. They advised to regularly participate in live and online training. You can also use regular staff meetings to provide updates.

In the same poll, 27 percent of respondents said they communicate quarterly, and 18 percent communicate monthly. Also, 39 percent of respondents said they are “very concerned” when it comes to “balancing the message so that travelers and expatriates understand the medical and security risks, yet know that the company is there for them.” Clearly, communication is top of mind at many organizations.

Take a look at the presentation, listen to the recording, or read the executive briefing. Hopefully, you’ll come away with a few tidbits on how to better communicate with your travelers.

Based on our own data, students are 23 times more likely to need repatriation assistance on account of a mental health condition than their business traveler counterparts. And with the number of study abroad students increasing each year, the issue is only going to become more pronounced.

This is both a Duty of Care and a Duty of Loyalty issue. It’s the institution’s Duty of Care to provide the necessary resources to protect students, including access to support abroad as well as pre-departure orientation. It’s also up to the student to disclose any mental health issue to both their parents and the institution.

Scholastic Duty of Care is a dynamic responsibility. The home institution must continue to provide ongoing education to the students, as well as the accompanying faculty. Adherence to this strategy will certainly help mitigate the risk of a failed study abroad experience. And it may help prevent unnecessary deaths.

Read more about mental health and study abroad in an op-ed piece that appeared recently in The Huffington Post.

1. Understand Duty of Care is a shared responsibility – from HR managers, to security, travel, medical and all points in between.  As managers and leaders, we are vitally accountable for the safety and security of our people as they travel or relocate internationally, be they business travelers, expatriates, or their dependents. Maintaining this responsibility is more than a mere phone call or email ensuring they made it to their destination.
2. Realize a “one-and-done” mentality doesn’t work. The last thing your people need as they attempt to embrace a foreign culture and unfamiliar setting is for them to feel “forgotten” about and for you to go radio silent. Actively communicate to them not only before but during their travels so they understand the resources you’ve provided to them if they face any medical or security issues. Have a plan in place. To truly fulfill our Duty of Care responsibility, all lines of communication must open at all times and we must work to keep information fresh in the minds of our busy travelers.
3. Adapt your communication strategies to your organization’s culture and ethos. Some savvy companies create a video of their CEO that communicates what their organization has in place to keep them healthy, safe and secure as they travel or live abroad.   Knowing how to effectively communicate, educate, and train our international travelers is an integral step forward to strengthening an organization’s ability to keep their global workforce healthy, safe and secure. To ensure they can do their job effectively, keep them apprised of all company policies and procedures, providing opportunities to train and educate your employees while they seek to benefit your business internationally.
4. Train your employees on what to do in the event of a crisis. It is important to establish protocols of who to contact and how to reach them in the event of an emergency or insecure scenario, complete with outgoing messaging standards and capabilities, to ensure contact can be made. This sort of risk awareness and training, particularly prior to international travel, can keep your people out of trouble, allowing them to think on their feet if and when trouble does arise.

To learn more about who needs to know what when it comes to traveling abroad, join International SOS for the fifth webinar in the ongoing series, “Start to Finish: 8 Essential Steps for Duty of Care.” This webinar, “Step 5: How to Communicate, Educate, and Train Your Global Workforce,” is set for Thursday, March 21. You can also take a look at these “Safe & Savvy Traveler” videos that International SOS put together as a way to educate your travelers on the basics of heading abroad – including medication, road safety and nutrition.

For the past two years, we asked security professionals, human resources executives, medical directors, corporate travel managers and others where they see travel headed and where the risks lie. The data for this year’s outlook was collected from participants in the Global Political and Travel Security Risks 2013: Looking Ahead webinar.

Read the executive briefing from the Global Political and Travel Security Risks webinar, or listen to the recording.