5 Ways to Improve Your Travel Security
Last week I sat down with an old friend, now the COO of a technology company. They had recently tried to open a new market in the Middle East and had in his words “bombed it”. Their team had misjudged the meetings culturally, and for fear of losing some of their equipment had not travelled with it, meaning they could not properly demo their product To round it off travel delays had disrupted the return journey and for approximately 24 hours they had not been certain where their team was physically.
It was not perhaps the best way to finish 2022, and while he was able to laugh, somewhat ruefully, at the story, we both remarked that such events are far from unique. While these issues were not absolutely the preserve of the security department a developed Travel Security Plan within their organisation may have helped to avoid these.
Whether you travel locally or internationally, as a tradesperson or international consultant, considering these five areas will improve your travel security and management.
Coordinate and Monitor Travel within your organisation
Employers have a reasonable duty of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, and that includes whenever they are travelling for work. Make sure you have a system which tracks where your people are, walking the balance between appropriate oversight and intrusive tracking. You should know where people stay when they are away overnight, but don’t necessarily need to track them if they go out for a meal.
I’ve worked with construction companies who very closely monitor their teams to know where they are. An electrician who has their tools stolen will need to find several £’000s to re-equip before they can resume work. Similarly I have worked with consulting companies in places where it is assessed as being unsafe to be outside their accommodation after dark, and in such places knowing where your people are is important.
Think Personnel Safety
Are you sending the right people for the work? Often this will be a very quick confirmation. You probably wouldn’t choose to send an accountant when a choreographer is required. But, the longer the visit is, or the more unfamiliar is the location to which they are going then the more consideration you should give.
The recent football World Cup in Qatar raised this very issue for many companies and governments. Not only did they have to consider how well equipped their people were to do the work required, they had to consider how resilient they would be given the duration of the employment and whether they would be in danger given Qatar’s laws, particularly with respect to homosexuality.
More commonly, it may be around issues such as ensuring your people are fit and safe to travel, not tired following a full working day for example. Otherwise, it may be whether accommodation is appropriate or if local transport can be used. While working in West Africa I was forbidden from using any local public transport by my then employer.
Cultural Awareness
Are you awake to the sensitivities of wherever you’re working? It’s not just different international cultures. A male electrician in a women’s refuge may be the only solution to the work which needs to be carried out, but it will be necessary to employ clear behavioural protocols. Relying on common sense on such occasions is unlikely to be sufficient.
As much a part of setting yourself up for business success, considering the cultural sensitivities of wherever you are going will help to minimise the risk of unnecessary friction and will smooth the path to success. Including this in your planning may take a little extra effort but the rewards will be worth it.
Think Property Safety
My friend’s company had decided not to send equipment with them because of their perceived risk of loss. Balancing the need to be properly equipped and supported against any potential loss means you will need to put in place additional measures to ensure property safety. These practices will be specific to the equipment/property and you should expect them to differ from those focussed on your people.
You probably already do this regarding cyber security. Regular travellers may be accustomed to what is needed, but with security thinking you need to constantly refresh and check. How are vehicles and equipment stored when they are not in immediate use? How can you get them to and from your work locations safely?
If you haven’t done it already, identify your key equipment and property. Take time to assess your vulnerability to the loss of each one.
Finally remember that however good you think your protocols and instructions are, people will seek easy options. Even US Presidents with all their support seem to have placed classified documents in unsafe areas.
Don’t Broadcast Your Trips
Of course you need to ensure that everybody concerned knows what is going on and is integrated in your security planning, but you don’t need to let others know. Social Media and press releases have two effects.
Firstly, they let any would be predator know where you are likely to be with any attractive kit they may want to take. They will know that in this instance you are away from your normal locations and may be having to apply ad hoc security practices.
The second effect is that any predators know you are away, and for how long. Numbers of footballers are targeted in this way with burglars targeting their homes when they know the players are abroad or away for a clear period.
You may not be a football club but that doesn’t mean that information about your travel plans isn’t attractive to a criminal.
Your Travel Security Audit
If you need help putting in place your own organisation’s travel security protocols or would like an audit of your current practices, then please contact us at Info@streetsafethinking.com.
