How prepared are you when it comes to protecting your employees who travel for work abroad? Employers have a duty of care to ensure employees travelling for work are aware of potential health risks and have access to appropriate resources.
Whether attending meetings overseas, working on projects or travelling to conferences, your employees may be exposed to health risks that differ significantly from those encountered at home.
That’s why we’ve written this article to help organisations prepare employees for safe and healthy travel and understand how occupational health can help.
Why travel health matters
Business travel can expose employees to a range of health risks, including infectious diseases, food and waterborne illnesses, extreme temperatures, air pollution, insect-borne diseases, and challenges associated with accessing healthcare overseas.
The nature and level of risk will vary depending on the destination, duration of travel, planned activities, and the employee’s individual health circumstances. These risks can be mitigated with better pre-travel preparation.
Preparing employees for overseas travel
Effective travel health preparation should begin well before departure. Employers should consider providing employees with access to:
- Pre-travel health advice
Review destination-specific health information and help employees understand any health risks associated with their travel plans. This may include information about local disease outbreaks, food and water safety, environmental hazards, and healthcare facilities available at their destination.
- Vaccinations and preventive measures
Depending on the destination, certain vaccinations may be recommended or required. Some vaccines require multiple doses or need to be administered several weeks before travel, making early planning essential.
In addition to vaccinations, preventive measures such as malaria prophylaxis, insect bite avoidance strategies, and guidance on safe food and water consumption may be appropriate.
Vaccinations are available from most travel clinics and may also be given by GP surgeries. If in doubt, your occupational health contact at Cordell Health can advise.
- Individual health considerations
Employees with underlying medical conditions should consider whether any additional precautions are needed before travelling. Factors such as access to medication, travel insurance coverage, fitness to travel, and the impact of climate or altitude may need to be assessed.
Occupational health services can provide valuable support in identifying and managing these considerations.
Travel Health is not just about business travel
Although employers have specific responsibilities relating to work-related travel, travel health information is equally relevant to employees planning personal holidays.
The summer months is an ideal time to remind employees of the importance of seeking reliable travel health advice before departure. Access to accurate information can help your employees make informed decisions and reduce the risk of illness while abroad.
Trusted sources of travel health information
The web contains a vast amount of travel advice, but not all sources are accurate or up to date. Two trusted UK resources are:
TravelHealthPro
TravelHealthPro is the website of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). It provides comprehensive, evidence-based information for international travellers, including destination-specific health advice, vaccination recommendations, outbreak updates, and guidance for healthcare professionals and travellers alike.
NHS Travel Vaccinations
NHS information site on travel vaccinations. There are lots of different travel vaccinations, so the ones you’ll need depends on the country you’re going to, and where in that country you’re going.
How occupational health can help
Occupational health professionals can support organisations in developing effective travel health arrangements by:
- Advising on travel-related health risks.
- Supporting pre-travel assessments where appropriate.
- Providing guidance on fitness for travel.
- Signposting employees to reliable travel health resources.
- Helping organisations meet their duty of care obligations for travelling employees.
Conclusion
Good travel health preparation benefits both employees and employers. By encouraging travellers to seek reliable advice, access appropriate vaccinations, and consider potential health risks before departure, organisations can help reduce the likelihood of travel-related illness and support employee wellbeing wherever work takes them. Whether travelling for business or leisure, planning ahead and using trusted sources of information are key steps towards a safe and healthy journey.
