Understanding complex health risks, security risks and control measures for your travelling population.

Travel Risk Mitigation BowTie

internationalsosfoundation.org Copy

right

© In

tern

atio

nal S

OS

Foun

datio

n, 2

015

International SOS FoundationThe International SOS Foundation seeks to improve the welfare of people working abroad through the study, understanding and mitigation of potential risks. The International SOS Foundation was started in 2011 with a grant from International SOS. It is a fully independent, non-profit organisation.

Vaccine preventable

endemic diseases Travel health

individual risk assessment

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

Knowledge, behaviour and

attitude

Fitness standard

Knowledge, behaviour and

attitude

Personal protection,

repellents, nets, clothing

Vector-borne diseases

management system

Vaccination

Chemoprophylaxis

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

First Aid trainingTraveller’s First

Aid kit +/- standby emergency

treatment for malaria

Seeking help earlyEmergency

response – Medical assistance provision

Chemoprophylaxis

Knowledge, behaviour and

attitude

Vector-borne diseases e.g.

malaria

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

Company issue of insect nets

Utilise independent medical assessors

Inadequate/ absent insect

nets

Travel Health Individual Risk AssessmentInsurance

Financial cost of medical case

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

Regular traveller education

Medical assistance provider with knowledge of

capabilities of local healthcare facilities

able to direct to and evacuate if

necessary

Inexperienced traveller or foolhardy

experienced traveller

Emergency response – Local healthcare facility

Delayed orinadequate

medical care:Resulting in

fatality, harm,lost time

incident, lossof productivity,

businessinterruption,reputational

harm

Medical assistance provider

monitoring and accrediting

healthcare facility capability and

service provision

Medical assistance provider

monitoring medical management

Medical assistance provider with local language capability

Using primary care providers who may not

have sufficient understanding of risks or act in an advocacy role

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

Ongoing education

Emergency treatment kit

Medication resistance

Injury or onset of illness

Accommodation standards

Signpost employee to GP/specialist

to optimise management of

condition

Medical assessment of suitability for

assignment

Food & water quality

Travel Health Individual Risk Assessment

Risk assessment of destination health

risks & capability of destination’s health

infrastructure

Medical governance over medical

assessment process

Underlying health condition

Driver training

Monitor public health events and

restrict travel where necessary

Fitness standard

Fitness standard

Fatigue management

system

Minimise risk through awareness,

behaviour and simple hygiene

measures

Vehicle specifications

Destination specific health alerts

Driving abroad policy

Pandemic business continuity planning

Road traffic accidents

Medical assessment of suitability for

assignmentFitness standard Acclimatisation

periodEducation & awareness

Exposure to extremes of climate or altitude

Pandemics/ epidemics

e.g. influenza, cholera, Ebola

Inconsistent application of

fitness standard

Vector-borne disease myths

Inadequate local healthcare

facility

Language barrier

Inappropriate treatment

Overseas travel

Consequence

Recovery controls

Prevention controls

Threat

Top event (undesirable

state)

Escalation factor control

Escalation factor

With thanks to CGE Risk Management Solutions for use of their BowTieXP software.

Hazard

Local security support

Travel security training

Situational awareness

Civil unrest or violent crime

Knowledge, behaviour and

attitude

Unfamiliar environment

Risk assessment & authorisation

processSecurity alerts

This BowTie diagram helps you to visualise some of the complex health risks, security risks and control measures for your travelling population. The diagram is shaped like a bow-tie, creating a clear differentiation between proactive and reactive risk mitigation. It captures common health and security risks, the principle barriers used to control these risks, the common escalation factors that can render these barriers ineffective, and the escalation factor controls.

The Travel Risk Mitigation BowTie

With the support of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. It is the world’s biggest professional health and safety membership organisation.

IOSH are the voice of the profession, campaigning on issues that affect millions of working people. They set standards and support, develop and connect their members with resources, guidance, events and training.

Key

Lucinda Drought, Group Health Manager, Group HSSE, BG Group: “Health as a topic is not a clearly prescribed topic compared to engineering. It is the BowTie diagram that facilitates health into a platform that allows health to be better understood in their terms. Working within the international energy industry I have found this approach to be well understood by the engineering community and am pleased to say it has been well received by our employees who travel and work in ever increasingly remote and challenging environments around the world. I have no doubt it will continue to help BG Group to raise our understanding of this issue.”