Overseas travel health and safety

Staff and students must complete and submit the Travel Insurance Application Form (Essex login required) for all University business travel that involves either an overseas trip, or, if it is in the UK, an overnight stay and/or travel by air. This is to ensure that the University can carry out its due diligence obligations and is aware of staff/student whereabouts should there be an incident.

The University's travel insurance is provided by UMAL and Canopius. It is designed specifically for our needs and provides you with the following services:

• emergency travel and medical assistance
• travel security advice and alerts
• health information
• destination guides

You will be sent your insurance details when you submit the travel application form.

Do check what is covered by the insurance and, if you have any concerns, speak to the Insurance Officer. For example, are you planning any hazardous activities or visits to hazardous areas? Do you have any medical conditions that may affect cover?

Don't assume the insurance company will be able to help you out of all situations where additional non-medical costs are incurred. You may need additional accommodation, travel amendments, or access to cash to cover emergency vehicles and hospital treatment costs. Insurance companies can rarely access local services which you may need in the first instance, so if you are travelling to more remote areas, research availability and suitability of local hospitals, and/or emergency vehicles (e.g., helicopters) as part of your trip planning.

Further requirements for insurance cover

For the majority of overseas visits, the Insurance Officer will confirm that insurance is in place and provide you with our insurer's emergency contact details. There are additional requirements for certain visits considered to have a higher health, safety and security risk. The section below - "University requirements for travel to high and extreme risk locations" - should be used to provide further details on these requirements.

Before travelling overseas on University business/research you will need to complete a travel insurance application form (Essex login required). Submit the form at least two weeks before you travel to allow time for assessment of your travel plans. Be aware that trips may have to be postponed or cancelled if there are safety concerns that cannot be addressed before travel.

On receipt of the travel insurance application, the Insurance Officer will:

• assess your insurance needs and confirm your cover and how to access it
• advise you if you need to carry out a formal risk assessment and obtain approval prior to travel (see travel to high risk and extreme locations below)
• advise you if you need to complete additional overseas travel training modules prior to travel

Use the following websites to access country-specific safety and security information:

• Crisis24Horizon risk monitor for travellers*
• Gov.uk travel advice by country
• Gov.uk Overseas Business Risk guides

*If you don't have a login for this site, please refer to the Crisis24Horizon registration instructions (.pdf) for guidance on how to access the destination guides.

The above sites will give a range of safety and security advice, from terrorism and kidnapping to common scams that catch out unwary travellers. Be aware of differences in cultural norms and laws in the country you are visiting. The GOV.UK site also has some specific advice for disabled and LGBT travellers.

Check whether there are any special occasions such as public holidays, local elections, political conferences, major sporting events in the destinations you are travelling to. As well as affecting prices, hotel availability and traffic, security may be heightened, and the likelihood of terrorist attacks can increase.

Consult travel guides (e.g., Lonely Planet, Rough Guides) as good sources of local information on customs and travel safety advice. Trip Advisor includes traveller comments and reviews of accommodation and destinations. Also speak to colleagues or University contacts who may know the area being visited.

The following course module is available via Crisis24Horizon and is recommended for all travellers:

• Personal security awareness training (includes kidnap and extortion, female traveller security)

We also recommend reading any relevant advice for your trip found on the Crisis24Horizon advice page, which includes:

• Information security while travelling
• Avoiding and surviving kidnap situations

If you don't have a login for this site, please refer to the Crisis24Horizon registration instructions (.pdf).

If you have an existing medical condition that may affect your fitness to undertake overseas travel, you should discuss this with your GP, get confirmation of whether you are fit to travel and, if so, what precautions may be needed to ensure your health while away.

Bear in mind that access to medical support may be poor in some countries or remote locations. Staff can also seek advice from the Occupational Health team. When applying for insurance you will be required to confirm that you are medically fit to travel (your insurance could be invalidated if it is subsequently found you were not).

You may need vaccinations, medication or to take specific precautions to protect yourself from health risks prevalent in the country or area you are visiting. NHS fitfortravel gives general travel advice and health information for people travelling abroad from the UK. In addition, the following sites will help you to identify specific precautions required.

• NHS country-specific advice.
• Travel Health Pro (travel health information by country or on specific health risks).
• Medical Advisory Service for Travel Abroad: up-to-date advice on vaccination and travel health precautions by country.
• Government information on specific infectious diseases.

You should arrange for appropriate vaccinations/medication with your GP or a travel clinic at least eight weeks before travel (as sometimes a course of vaccinations is needed). If you are a member of staff, let your manager know you will need vaccinations or medication for travel, so that you can reclaim the cost on your expenses.

There are a number of infectious diseases that can affect un-prepared travellers. The following are examples that you may particularly need to be aware of.

Malaria

Many UK travellers are diagnosed with malaria on their return, some die. You may be at risk if you are visiting:

• Africa and Asia
• Central and South America
• Haiti and the Dominican Republic
• parts of the Middle East
• some Pacific islands

Make sure you are protected, please read the NHS advice on malaria.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)

In Europe, thousands of people contract TBE every year and many die. Read the following guidance to find out how to protect yourself.

• Tick-borne encephalitis in Europe and how to protect yourself (.pdf).
• Tick Alert.
• Ticks can also carry Lyme disease.

Check the medical provision in the country you are travelling to before you go. Although you will be covered by University insurance, you may not be admitted to the hospital without cash payment on arrival (even as an emergency case in an ambulance).

Global Health Insurance Card

If you are a UK and EU national resident in the UK and will be travelling to Europe, you should ensure that you have an up-to-date Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). Please note, it is not a replacement for travel insurance but will assist you in accessing medical treatment which you may otherwise have to pay for. You should also check the country-by-country guide on the GHIC website to see what health care you will be entitled to.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses, pack an extra pair. When carrying your own medications, take a copy of your prescription with you and the generic names for the drugs.

If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a certain drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country first. Keep medicines in their original, labelled containers. If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting to your need to take the drug. Take enough medication for the duration of your trip plus seven days (for emergencies).

Prior to travel, you will need to carry out a formal risk assessment if your travel is high risk or if you are travelling overseas and your accommodation has not been booked through the University’s Travel Management Company. When you complete the travel insurance application form, (Essex login required) the Insurance Officer will inform you if a specific Overseas Travel Risk Assessment is required. It is important that you complete the travel application form in good time to allow time to complete the risk assessment.

You will need to identify the significant risks, using the Crisis24Horizon Risk Monitor for Travellers site to help you. It is very important that you research your destination. As well as reading the Crisis24Horizon Country Travel Advice Report, you should also read the government travel advice and NHS country-specific advice. If you have contacts in the country being visited, you may also find it useful to discuss safety and security needs with them, as they may be able to help you. If you need help with your risk assessment you can contact the Insurance Officer or the Workplace, Health, Safety and Wellbeing team (WHSW).

Once you have completed the risk assessment you will need to gain approval (see below). If you are the leader of a group going overseas you must communicate the outcome of the risk assessment to the other travellers.

For students working or travelling overseas:

• Student overseas travel risk assessment form (.docx)

For staff working or travelling overseas:

• Staff overseas travel risk assessment form (.docx)

All travellers to high and extreme risk destinations with risk scores of 3 or above must complete the Crisis24Horizon travel training module Personal security awareness training which includes kidnap and extortion. Researching Your Destination (above) provides details about this course as well as advice pages. 

If you don't have a login for this site, please refer to the Crisis24Horizon registration instructions (.pdf).

Before you travel you will need to obtain approval:

• from your head of department or section for all high-risk travel and activities
• for travel to extreme-risk locations you must also obtain approval from your executive dean or, for Professional Services, the Registrar and Secretary
• heads of department or above must obtain approval from their line manager

Travellers are required to retain a copy of their training module completion certificates. These will be required to support the travel risk assessment for approval by your head of department or section (or line manager for heads of department or above). Once travel has been approved you should forward the risk assessment along with any training certificates to the Insurance Officer (Essex users only).

If you will be undertaking adventurous activities (examples would include activities such as scuba diving, skiing, canoeing, hang gliding, trekking in hazardous or remote areas and sky diving. This list is not exhaustive but should be used as an indicator of activities that may need further consideration), you will need to ensure that the activity is supervised by a suitably qualified person who is familiar with the environment where the activity takes place.

Please read the adventurous activities advice on organising field tripsadventurous activities advice on organising field tripsadventurous activities advice on organising field trips for further guidance on requirements. The following publications are also relevant:

• USHA/UCEA guidance on health and safety in fieldwork (.pdf)
• BS 8848:2014: specification for the provision of visits, fieldwork, expeditions and adventurous activities outside the United Kingdom (.pdf)

Please note that the University’s travel insurance only covers adventurous activities which are part of work, research or that are a direct part of any study undertaken. If you do plan adventurous activities as part of your own leisure time, even if they are organised during your studies, you will need to arrange your own insurance.

Depending on the nature of your trip you may also need to demonstrate appropriate competence. Those authorising non-UK visits will need to assess the competence of the independent traveller or group venture leader, taking into account:

• the nature of the visit
• the traveller's past experience and knowledge of the country being visited
• access to competent local support during the visit
• knowledge of:
  • the University's and your department's standards/requirements for non-UK visits
  • relevant aspects of the UCEA/USHA guidance on health and safety in fieldwork (.pdf)
  • risks associated with the country/environment you are visiting and appropriate precautions to protect yourself and others you are supervising
  • good travel safety practice
  • specialist field skills training should also be considered for higher risk trips
• experience of:
  • carrying out fieldwork relevant to the trip for which approval is being sought
  • for fieldwork group or venture leaders, managing, leading and supervising groups, possibly under adverse conditions
  • the country/area being visited
  • appropriate qualifications may be required in some circumstances. For example, for hazardous activities such as trekking or water sports, unless supervised by a suitably qualified person
  • appropriate first aid qualification where group leaders or supervisors may need to provide first aid

Competence can be gained in a variety of ways, including formal training, self-development or learning from others.

Make sure that you know the emergency contact numbers at your destination, how to obtain emergency help from UMAL, Canopius, Control Risks International SOS (or your travel insurance company) and who to contact at the University if you need help. Keep the information with you at all times. It is recommended that you use the form on the back of the Going Overseas? Stay Safe (.pdf) leaflet. Where relevant, a completed Field trip emergency incident procedures form (.docx) will assist in any response to an emergency situation involving students or staff.

Make a note of the contact details of the nearest British Consulate or Embassy. Find out what help is available and read the Government's guidance on how to deal with a crisis overseas.

Once fully registered you can sign up for regular e-mail travel alerts from Crisis24Horizon, guidance on how to do this is available on the UMAL website. 

You can also follow the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) or your nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate on Facebook and Twitter for real-time travel advice. See gov.uk advice on how to deal with a crisis overseas.

Attacks in the UK and abroad remind us all of the terrorist threat we face. Although these attacks are rare, it is important that you consider the risks in the location where you are travelling, be vigilant and be aware of how to protect yourself if the need arises.

As well as following Country specific advice from Crisis24Horizon or Gov.UK, you may find the following guidance helpful:

• Stay safe: Leaflet and film advising on the steps you can take to keep yourself safe in the rare event of a firearms or weapons attack.
• citizenAID: is a free app which gives guidance on what to do in the event of an incident.

Charge your mobile phone daily - you don't want the battery to run out in an emergency or when you are on a long journey in-country. Programme in the numbers of local contacts and emergency contacts. Do not take pre-paid phones unless you know you will be able to top-up credit while abroad, and make sure your phone will work in the country you are going to.

Note the location of hospitals, police stations and the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

Keep in regular contact with friends, family or work colleague, so that they know you are safe.

Road traffic accidents are a significant risk and standards of safe driving vehicle condition can vary. Use reputable transport providers. Choose vehicles with seat belts where possible and wear them.

• Gov.uk help for British nationals overseas

Where relevant a completed Field trip emergency incident procedures form (.docx) will assist in any response to an emergency situation involving students or staff.